An Acceptable Time
by StarWarrior72
Summary: When Luke and Han's hyperdrives malfunction almost simultaneously, they are dumped into a galaxy that they have each dreamed of. One of near peace. A friend of mine, AniPendragon, and I are writing this plot, which we created together. Okay, I lied, she did the plotting, I sat around distracting us. She's posting hers too, also on this site. You can find her in my favourites.
1. Chapter 1

Han glared at space, which was rocking around his ship again. If only Luke wasn't such a magnet for trouble, he wouldn't be in this crazy situation.

"Thanks for picking me up, Han," Luke said apologetically from the passenger seat.

"What are friends," Han pushed the ship lower, pushing aside his frustration, "For? What were you doing drifting around in space anyway?"

As the ship shook once more and Han had to grab the young Jedi and push him back into his seat as he nearly flew into his friend, "There was something wrong with the hyperdrive. It just dumped me in space. Do you need any help?"

Han flipped the freighter over itself, flying straight at the Imperial starfighter, "I'm managing. But you're lucky Leia told me to go looking for you."

"Yeah. Why don't we just go to hyperspace?"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Han snarled, glancing at the navicomputer again, "It just keeps giving me meaningless numbers. It's not a co-ordinate; it's got too many spaces to it."

"Well, it says it's ready to go, so how about we just go ahead and try it?" Luke demanded.

Han managed another peek at the device, "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Kid."

"I can't bring myself to believe it'd be worse than continuing with this. You lost rear shields five minutes ago."

"Note how we're flying at the ship."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Somehow that doesn't sound like a better plan."

Han glared, "Fine. Hold on."

He grabbed the lever and yanked as hard as he could. As he turned, hoping to see the familiar blue swirl of hyperspace, an unwelcome colour met his eyes.

"Green? Hyperspace isn't supposed to be green, Han!"

Han stared at the strange sight, "I know that, care to tell whatever dimension we're in?"

"Well," Luke said slowly, "At least we're not being chased anymore."

Han turned to him, incredulous, "You are beyond help."

Luke didn't answer.

"I don't know what to do now."

"I guess we'd better just wait and see where this takes us," Luke said.

Han nodded, "I guess."

Luke kept staring at the green glow, looking lost, "I thought hyperspace was one thing I could trust to stay the same."

"When has the galaxy ever offered_ us _stability?" Han asked.

Luke sighed, "Never, I guess."

"What's bothering you, Junior?"

Luke stared out of the viewport a moment longer before shrugging, "I'll tell you later."

"How about now," Han said.

"Not now," Luke shook his head, and as Han was about to question again, "Please, not now."

Han looked at him in concern, then carefully laid the subject aside to be returned to later, "Leia's been worried sick about you."

"I had to visit someone," Luke said.

"I thought we were the only friends you had who weren't dead," Han said before he could think.

Luke's face tightened and he said softly, "For a long time you were, and now you are again."

Han opened his mouth to apologize, but the ship chose that moment to shudder and buck as it fell back into realspace.

"What?" he heard Luke mutter, "What _is_ this place?"

As Han struggled to land the ship on a nearby planet, its mass seemed to be trying to pull itself apart. Suddenly, much to Han's relief, the ship slowed in its rocking, but all command was torn from his hands. He turned to Luke, hoping to see his hands on the dash, but was met instead with a sight of his eyes closed, hands outstretched.

"Kid? It is you doing this, right?"

Luke nodded quickly, returning his full focus to the work at hand.

Suddenly, the ship landed with a thud.

"You could've been a bit more gentle!" Han protested.

Luke's form drifted off the chair he'd been sitting on, sliding to his knees on the floor.

"Kid?" Han asked, all annoyance vanished in sudden concern, "Kid, are you okay?"

The young man didn't answer, his head lolling onto Han's shoulder. Worried, Han gathered the boy up, hoping against hope that he would be able to find a medcenter on the planet. In his arms, the boy mumbled something unintelligible.

"It's gonna be okay, Luke," he promised, carrying his friend through the ship and down the landing ramp.

As Han stepped out of the shadow of his ship, he blinked around at the brightness, finally managing to lock onto a couple of humanoid shadows, which were quickly moving towards him, lightsabers blazing.

Lightsabers? He thought. Take care of Luke first, understand second. Leia'll kill me if I let anything happen to him.

Again, Luke moved restlessly.

"Hello?" Han shouted. The two forms, now recognizably both humans, sped up, finally halting in front of him.

Han blinked at the two men, each wearing the same ridiculous robes Ben Kenobi had worn, both slowly lowering their weapons, then deactivating them and returning them to their belts. The elder looked at the younger, who stepped forwards and extracted Luke from Han's arms. For a moment, Han grasped the young Jedi tighter, but Luke's arms released him willingly enough, and Han found himself trusting the Jedi as much as the boy did.

As the man stepped back, Han took them both in. The older of the two was looking at Han with a cautious look on his face while the younger was busy arranging Luke's arms around his neck. Han could have sworn he saw the boy respond slightly.

Once the Jedi seemed certain that Luke was safe in his arms, he turned to Han.

"I'm Anakin," he said, holding out a hand, "And you are?"

Han stared at him a moment, stunned, before taking his hand and shaking, "Han Solo."

"Obi-Wan," the other Jedi said, also shaking Han's hand.

"Who's this?" Anakin asked, indicating the unconscious boy on his shoulder.

"Luke, he's my little brother," Han lied quickly.

The Jedi nodded, seeming satisfied with the answer. Han blinked at Luke, who seemed to be quite comfortable in the arms of the man who had practically claimed him as his son.

"We're just heading back to Coruscant, if you want to join us," Obi-Wan offered, "It seems your friend here could use some medical help."

"You mean the Imperial Center?" Han asked, perplexed.

"Is that what the Separatists are calling it now?" Obi-Wan asked mildly.

"Yeah, the Separatists," Han said adding under his breath, "Sure."

The taller Jedi, the one who claimed to be Anakin, shifted Luke once more and started off for his ship.

"We'll bring your ship as well," Obi-Wan offered, "You seem quite attached to it."

Han looked back at the ship, "We've been through a lot together," he answered.

Suddenly, much to Han's surprise, Artoo trundled down the ramp after them, beeping in consternation.

"Oh, you've got an Artoo unit!" Anakin said in surprise, "I've got one too."

Han nodded, "Yeah."

To his surprise, the Jedi addressed the droid, "What kept you?"

Artoo beeped loudly, and Anakin looked back up at Han, "You didn't notice that he hadn't come out? He was stuck!"

Artoo gave a long, mournful beep, and Anakin led him away onto his ship. Han watched, feeling somewhat abandoned, as the other Jedi motioned him up after, and led the way.


	2. Chapter 2

Luke felt the galaxy shift, someone's arms around him. The Force was still blindingly bright, and as the person holding him nestled him gently against his chest, it blossomed again. He felt something familiar about the presence and forced himself to open his eyes.

"Where am I?" he whispered.

"You're safe now," the person answered, "We've just landed on Coruscant, and we're taking you to a med center."

Luke struggled to pull back to look at his protector, "I'm fine," he protested.

"Your brother carried you off his ship unconscious," the man answered.

"Who are you?" Luke asked.

"My name is Anakin. Now will you relax so I can get you the care you need?"

Luke blinked, startled. That would explain why he felt so familiar. He pulled back so that he could look at the man's face, and sure enough, his eyes were blue. He had a slightly quirky smile, Luke noticed, finding himself returning it.

"Relax. You need care," Anakin said, dragging Luke close to his body again.

Luke yawned and found himself with a small mouthful of hair, on which he gagged slightly. Anakin pushed his hair out of Luke's way, and Luke closed his eyes.

"Okay," he said.

His father cradled him close, and he felt immensely safe and loved.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

Anakin laughed, and Luke felt another blinding rush of light Force power.

"It is my job to help the helpless," the man laughed.

_Why does he look the same age as me?_ Luke thought groggily, _And why hasn't he recognized me?_

"Where are you taking me?" he asked finally.

"The best medcenter on Coruscant. Obi-Wan got permission to take you to the Jedi Temple, because you're Force sensitive. We noticed your lightsaber too. Were you learning in the Outer Rim? Force knows we try to keep track."

Luke glanced down at his belt, and noticed that Anakin had clipped his lightsaber to his own belt, next to one that was very familiar.

"I want to see the Temple," Luke said, trying to extract himself from his father's arms.

Anakin clutched him tighter, "Patience, young Padawan," he teased.

Luke sighed and let himself go limp in defeat, "Okay. I can go exploring later though, right?"

"Yes."

Luke smiled, "I'd heard of the Jedi Temple, but I never thought I'd actually be here!"

Anakin didn't answer, silently carrying him into a medcenter. Luke watched over his father's shoulder as the halls drifted away into the distance. Finally, Anakin lowered him onto a bed. Luke promptly sat up, wanting to question him. He watched in pleasant surprise as Obi-Wan and Han moved into view as well. Smiling, he looked up at his father.

"What's going on?" he asked eagerly.

Anakin blinked at him.

"I think you startled him," Han said.

Luke grinned apologetically, "Sorry. I'm just so excited, this is completely new to me!"

Anakin looked concerned, and carefully took a seat next to Luke on the bed, "What's new to you?"

"Being in the Temple, meeting Jedi," Luke said happily.

"You should be resting," Obi-Wan reprimanded gently, nudging Luke backwards until he fell against the sheets.

Luke frowned, "But I want to talk to you. I want to know everything about this place!"

"We can talk about all that later," Anakin promised kindly, "But why don't you tell us who you are, and where you came from, and then we can let you rest."

Luke wanted very much to protest again, but he realized how childish he had already made himself seem. He'd had another chance to make himself look good in the eyes of his father, he now understood, and he had ruined it.

"Okay," he said.

Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked at him expectantly, and he turned to Han for help.

"Where are you from?" Obi-Wan asked finally, "And what were you doing in the Outer Rim?"

Luke opened his mouth to answer at the same time Han actually did.

"We're smu—," Han started.

Luke kicked him as hard as he could, while still trying to hide it, "We're refugees."

Both Jedi's eyes flicked to Han, who had subconsciously moved to touch the spot on his thigh where Luke assumed a bruise would soon arise. Luke guessed they'd both seen his not-so-subtle action.

Much to his relief, Han was nodding eagerly, although that might have been only to avoid another kick, "We're refugees."

"From where?"

Luke looked down at the bed he was lying on, wrapping his prosthetic right hand in the sheet. He felt himself blush, already imagining trying to explain where he was from.

"Nowhere," he said, but the word came out very small.

"Sorry?" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke took a deep breath and forced himself to answer louder, "Nowhere. We're refugees from a place I'll bet you've never heard of."

"The Separatists," Han supplied, "You know how it is."

It sounded an awful lot to Luke as though he was grasping at straws, and Anakin and Obi-Wan seemed to feel the same way, but they both nodded. He was very surprised when Anakin's answer was gentle, and accompanied with a sad look at Luke.

"Yeah, I know how it is," the smile he gave as he continued seemed forced, "Get some sleep, Luke, and you can ask us anything you want when you wake up."

"Really?" Luke asked eagerly, sitting up quickly again, "Ow," he added, his hand springing to his side.

"Are you all right?" Anakin asked in concern.

Luke pulled his shirt up a little bit and groaned, "It's split again."

Anakin yanked his shirt up further, staring in horror at the wound.

"What?" Luke asked, almost laughing, "It just never healed right. Nothing worth worrying about."

"This is bad!" Anakin argued, touching it gently and yanking his hand back when Luke flinched, "Is it infected?"

"No, I don't think so. I mean, we did our best to take care of it."

"We?" Anakin demanded.

"Me and my friends," Luke answered, slipping back a little bit. His father's response was starting to worry him, "Except we couldn't afford to have me in a bacta tank for very long, because it's only a flesh wound."

"Only a flesh wound?" Anakin asked, and Luke could feel anger rising in him. _It's nothing like Vader's anger, though. He's feeling this way because he… cares about me._

He smiled at the man, "I'm fine, honestly. These things happen all the time. You know what I mean, don't you?"

Anakin only seemed to sink deeper into his dark mood, "Yeah, I do."

Luke had been expecting a glance at his prosthetic hand, or maybe a touch to the scar that cut through his right eyebrow. Instead, he put a hand to a faded scar on his left wrist, "I know."

"Then you know it's nothing, right?" Luke asked cautiously. His father's reaction frightened him. He liked being cared for, of course, but he had a terrible feeling it was making Anakin feel a thousand times worse than it was making Luke feel better.

Anakin seemed quite discoloured as he nodded hesitantly, "Nothing. Yeah, if you don't want to talk about it. It's just… what did you do to deserve this? What did he do to you?"

Luke, now thoroughly unsettled, smiled carefully, "I promise you, I'm all right. I've had worse stuff happen to me."

Anakin only seemed further hurt by his words, but he nodded slowly, "If you need to talk about it, you can always come to me."

Obi-Wan stepped forwards, carefully putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder, "You're a Jedi, Anakin, control yourself."

Luke caught sight of tears in his father's eyes, and found himself swept into a hug, "You're safe here now, Luke. I- I won't try to force you."

Luke returned the hug, basking in the attention for a moment before letting go, "I promise I'll come talk to you if anything goes wrong."

Anakin stood, apparently now aware of what he'd done. He smiled at Luke, and Luke was glad to see that the smile was a little less forced. He scruffed Luke's hair, "You're a good kid, Luke."

Then he turned to leave, Obi-Wan following him with an expression of amusement on his face, "He's almost as old as you are."

"He's still younger," Anakin answered, and Luke was glad to hear that he had recovered.

The two Jedi left the room and Luke turned to Han, "What happened?"

"I don't know. Is he your dad?"

"I think so," Luke answered, glad that he hadn't had time to explain Vader to Han yet. That would have made their predicament much more confusing.

"Huh. Now I know where you get your craziness from."

"Hey!" Luke hit him with his pillow, smiling, "Is my mom here too?"

"I dunno, Kid. What's your mom's name?"

Luke shook his head, "I have no idea. Has he been… huggy with anyone? Besides me, I mean," he said, rubbing his arms where Anakin had squeezed.

Han shook his head, "No. What was that all about anyway? Have you been communicating telepathically? He seemed to have a pretty good idea of what Vader's done."

"I don't think it's that. I mean, he might sense a connection, I can definitely feel him, but… I can't help feeling he was just misunderstanding me."

"Everything you said?"

"Yeah," Luke said, looking up at his friend, "Everything. I just wish I knew what he was hearing."


	3. Chapter 3

"Anakin, you acted very… strangely back there. Is something troubling you?"

Anakin looked over his shoulder at the door to the hospital wing, "He was trying to hide it, but you can't help making it obvious."

"Anakin?"

"He's in pain. He's in pain, and he won't talk to me about it."

"Anakin, what _are_ you going on about?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice!" he said in agony.

"Notice _what_, Anakin? You're not making sense."

Anakin grabbed his robes in his fists, "He's a slave."

"They're refugees."

"No," Anakin shook his head fiercely, "He's a slave. His friend is a smuggler, like he tried to tell us."

"Why would Luke lie?"

Anakin clenched his teeth as well, feeling the metal of his right hand start to get tangled in the fibers of his robe, "Do you think it's easy to admit? It's not like being a Jedi. It's one thing to say that you've dedicated your life to a worthy cause, and something else entirely to say you were born into the ownership of someone who doesn't care about you, who beats you, who might well work you to death," he forced himself to look up, "It's not the same at all."

"Anakin, I know it was hard on you, but I think you're reading too much into this."

"Master, I am not reading too much into this. He- Luke is an escaped slave."

"What proof do you have? I know it's been even harder for you since Ahsoka left, but that's no reason to hear things people haven't said."

"I haven't got any conclusive proof, obviously. It's just, everything he said adds up. And it has nothing to do with Ahsoka, who didn't_ leave_, she was _thrown out_!"

Obi-Wan held up his hands, "She was invited back, and you'll remember that I was against throwing her out from the beginning. What do you mean that what he said matches up?"

"That wound on his side, which his friends tried to help him heal, but couldn't afford a bacta tank for long enough. That embarrassed, frightened look he got when we asked him where he was from. The way he treated his injuries, like they were nothing."

Obi-Wan nodded, "That reminds me, have you had a med droid look at that slash on your arm?"

"Huh?" Anakin asked, distracted, "No. Why?"

"Perhaps if he is, in fact, a refugee, he has simply gotten used to the pain, like you have? Or haven't you noticed that your nails have dug through your skin?"

Anakin looked down at his left hand, and, sure enough, blood was trickling from the palm. He wiped it off on his robes, "That's beside the point. Believe me, I can tell these things about people. He's been abused, and I think that it's because he's a slave."

Obi-Wan merely nodded.

Anakin grabbed him by the hood, "You're not listening to me, Master. Luke is a slave. I need to find out who his master was so I—,"

"So you can what?" Obi-Wan asked mildly, "Put your future with the Jedi in jeopardy again?"

"He needs someone to care for him!" Anakin argued.

"He has his best friend here. The smuggler will take care of him."

"Solo is not his friend. Over the course of every ridiculous thing we've ever done I've met one or _maybe _two kind hearted smugglers. I bet anything there's something he wants from Luke. Luke needs us to care for him!"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said with the same infuriatingly calm tone he always used when he was about to hugely misunderstand his friend, "You're projecting the protective things you felt for Ahsoka on him. You're trying to bring the girl you trained back to the Order by befriending a lost refugee. It won't work, Anakin, you need to let go."

"I can't. I can't let go of my need to care for people!"

"Oh, Anakin, you do have a hero complex."

Anakin sighed, "Maybe I do, but it's an improvement on not caring about them."

"Perhaps we should try to find you a new apprentice. Being so attached to this boy is strange. People might get the wrong impression," Obi-Wan warned.

"I don't want a new apprentice. I feel like the fact that I taught Ahsoka didn't help her in her trial."

"If you don't want an apprentice, why are you being so protective of the boy?"

Anakin shrugged, "I don't know. I just feel connected to him somehow, and I have an awful feeling that someone has hurt him because of who he is. His wounds, and the way he treats them, seem to indicate that someone was aiming for him exactly. He is not an average victim of war."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to disagree, but Anakin shook his head, "Trust me, Master. I'm completely certain."

"Anakin, I do trust you. You just seem to be making too much of it."

Anakin exhaled slowly and was about to retort when the smuggler approached them from behind.

"There you are! I'm so glad," he panted.

"And why is that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The kid, I can't get him to lie still."

"What does that have to do with us?" Anakin demanded. He still didn't trust the smuggler at all. The man had seemed kind enough in his treatment of Luke, even carrying him, when need be, but Anakin still felt something wrong with the situation. He told himself it had nothing to do with wanting to care for Luke.

"He seemed so calm when you were with us. I'm just hoping if you come back, he'll calm down. I guess he got attached to you, but he's usually better than this. I dunno what's going on in his head," Han grinned, rolling his eyes, "Then again, I usually don't."

Anakin glared at him, but he couldn't help noticing that Han's expression did seem truly concerned.

"If one of you could just come back, I think he might be willing to lie still, as long as he can pester you with questions."

Obi-Wan chuckled, and Anakin shot him a glare.

"Great, now if we can just get back before he destroys the hospital, we're golden."

Anakin blinked at him, expecting him to grin, and say he was joking, but the smuggler merely turned around, and hurried back towards the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

Luke looked up as his father entered. He felt rather bad about having had Han run after them, and stop them, so that he could talk to the man, but he was desperate to know him. As he entered the room, however, Anakin wore the same concerned, slightly frightened, expression as before and Luke couldn't help questioning whether his motives were fair.

"Hello!" Luke said.

Obi-Wan greeted him cordially, and Anakin nodded vaguely.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, looking into Anakin's face.

He was answered with only another nod.

"Will you sit next to me again?" he asked hopefully.

Anakin sat, carefully taking Luke's hand, almost as though he thought Luke might crumble to pieces, "Will you stay still so you can heal properly?"

Luke obediently fell back into the pillows.

Han took a seat on Luke's other side while Obi-Wan remained standing, looking at the others with an expression of great confusion. Luke smiled eagerly at his father.

"Where are you from?" he asked, mostly because he was at a loss as to what question to ask without giving away the future.

"Ah… I'd rather not talk about that. You know how it is, right?"

_Has he guessed?_ Luke wondered, _How could he possibly guess?_ But he nodded, "Yeah, I do."

Anakin gave him an extremely forced smile, "Why don't you tell us something about yourself?"

_If he has guessed, then he wants everyone to know_, "Uh, I'd rather not talk about it, you know how it is, right?" he joked.

Anakin nodded and smiled a little more easily, "I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humour."

Luke grinned, "Han's tried to separate me from it, trust me. No luck for him so far!"

Much to Luke's relief, Anakin actually laughed, "You can't be much worse than Obi-Wan."

Luke looked up at Obi-Wan, still somewhat thrown by his appearance, and tilted his head, "Really? How bad can he be?"

"Believe me when I say, pretty bad," Anakin answered.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "I don't even mind, I'm just glad to see you smile."

"Someday, you'll know, Luke. I've got the strangest feeling you already do."

"Do? Do what?" Luke asked, startled.

Anakin's smile faded, replaced with a look of extreme confusion, "Know how bad Obi-Wan's – or should I call you Ben?" he asked, casting a glare at Obi-Wan, "Know how bad his sense of humour is. By the way, that wasn't funny."

"It wasn't meant to be a joke, Anakin, I did that for your own good, even though I knew it'd make you furious," Obi-Wan gave Anakin a dark look, "Maybe even turn you to the Sith."

"Um, may I speak to you privately?" Luke asked Anakin, "It's kind of personal and… I think you'd understand better than the others."

Obi-Wan and Han both opened their mouths to object, but Anakin waved them off, "I told him to come to me if he needed to talk about anything he's been through. I promise, I can take care of myself," he said sarcastically.

Han started to refuse to leave Luke, but Obi-Wan turned him away, "Anakin will be most insistent about this."

"Ah, okay," Han said slowly, "Take care of yourself, Luke."

"Please, it's not like any harm's going to come to me in the middle of the Jedi Temple, Han."

Han nodded hesitantly and left with Obi-Wan.

Luke looked up at his father, starting to feel nervous again. What if he had just misread Anakin's reactions? He certainly didn't want to give away who he was if he could avoid it.

"How are you healing?" Anakin asked, kindly, and arbitrarily, enough.

Luke pulled his shirt up a bit, "I'm doing okay. Better than I thought I would, based on the methods you're using."

"What do you mean 'the methods we're using'?" Anakin asked, sounding confused.

_I mean that they're ancient methods, literally from before I was born, I think, but I didn't mean to say it!_ "Oh, it's just, where I come from, we usually use some witchcraft too," he answered quickly.

"Really?" Anakin gave a short laugh, "What a coincidence, it's the same where I grew up. Hold still."

_Hold still? Does he really think he can do witchcraft? Just because they do it on Tatooine doesn't mean I believe in it!_ Luke fought not to squirm as Anakin gently laid a hand on the healing wound. As he closed his eyes, Luke nearly screamed. Then he watched in amazement as the last traces of the wound faded, and Anakin opened his eyes.

"I bet it's never worked for you before, has it? The Force. It can be kind of fun to mess around with, but don't tell Obi-Wan I did that or he'll be furious."

Luke smiled, but he felt it die as he thought of the words Anakin and Obi-Wan had exchanged.

Anakin put an arm around him, "What's wrong?"

Luke leaned on his father, closing his eyes. He hoped he wasn't outstepping his bounds, but Anakin had offered, and besides, he needed the comfort.

"I miss my family."

"I understand," Anakin said gently, putting his other arm around Luke.

_He must know. On some level he must know. He must!_ "Do you miss your family when you're away?"

"Jedi aren't allowed to have families," Anakin answered, and Luke noticed that his voice had become softer, sadder.

"You had a family, didn't you? What happened to them?"

Anakin put Luke down and looked away, "I had a mother, before the Jedi found me. I lived with her longer, and grew closer to her, than Jedi usually do. They didn't know what to do about our bond, so they abandoned her, and hoped I'd forget."

_That's nothing like the answer I expected. I was kind of waiting to be told that my mom ran off._ "What happened to her?"

"The tuscans killed her," Anakin said, and Luke sensed him starting to get angry, in a far more Vader-like way than he was comfortable with.

"I—," Luke faltered. Looking again at the broken expression on his father's face, he hugged the man again, burying his face against him, "I'm so sorry. I- I didn't mean to hurt you."

Anakin held him tightly, and when Luke tried to move, he only clung tighter. Luke closed his eyes and relaxed against his father, who stopped moving and sat still, holding him. Slowly, he relaxed, and let Luke go.

"I—," he faltered, "I'm sorry. No one else ever seems to care as much as you. Well, maybe one person."

"Obi-Wan?" Luke guessed.

"No, a mutual friend, but that's beside the point. I'm sorry for that display, I'm supposed to be stronger than this. I meant to help you with whatever's bothering you, but I'm just adding to your troubles. I'm sorry."

Luke sat up again, from where Anakin had laid him back down, "You're not hurting me," he said, and found himself smiling, "I like being treated like this. I'm really glad you trust me enough to tell me these things when they're obviously personal. I mean- it's a lot more faith than people usually put in me. I'm used to being lied to."

Anakin frowned.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Somebody's got to be the scapegoat, right?"

Anakin sighed, "I wish that wasn't true."

Luke shrugged, "Don't we all?"

"What did you want to talk to me about anyway?" Anakin asked, clearly trying to push aside the subject.

"Oh, I was just wondering what you and Obi-Wan were talking about. When you called him Ben?"

"That. He pretended to be dead and no one thought to tell me that he was doing just fine playing bounty hunter. I'm still upset about it, so I try to make light of it whenever possible. I keep hoping I'll get over it and stop having to act."

"Oh, I understand."

"Really?" Anakin asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I've got some things I really can't tell my friends. I mean, I love them very much and… that's why I can't tell them."

Anakin nodded, and Luke had the strangest feeling that he understood a thousand times more than he let on.

"Who are your friends, other than Han?"

"Oh, just people from home. Leia, Wedge, Mon Mothma, Deena, lots of people."

"Do you feel comfortable enough to tell me where you're from now?" Anakin asked politely.

Luke bit his lip. He hadn't meant to say so much, but there was no going back, "Oh, we're a little organization. Where I come from… there's a lot of oppression," he faltered, unsure of how to proceed.

Much to his relief, Anakin was nodding, "I know how that feels."

"We don't really have a specific base right now. I wandered off, Han came to rescue me, and we got lost." _In the time stream._

Anakin nodded, "Good for you for standing up to them."

_He praised me! He actually praised me! I've always wanted to hear him say something nice, even something arbitrary, and he's praising me for disobeying him in the future! Of course, he doesn't know about that, but still!_

Luke grinned at his father, "Thanks. I've…"_ I can't tell him who he is to me. I can hardly say any of the things I want to say to him! _"I've never had a friend like you before."

Anakin smiled, "I've never had a friend quite like you either. Stay close, I won't let anything hurt you again."

_He wants to protect me! He only wants to do it because we're friends, but… he actually wants to protect me! He actually cares about me. I've never had a parent who cared for me before._


	5. Chapter 5

"Anakin!" a voice hissed from behind Obi-Wan. He turned, sensing his friend turning beside him, and saw Luke.

"What are you doing out of the hospital?" he asked, trying to hold back frustration.

"I-I don't like being in the hospital for long periods of time," Luke said, "I get bored, and it feels like the walls are closing in."

"You're claustrophobic?"

Luke shrugged, walking out of the alley he had been hidden in, "Only when I'm there for a longer period of time. I don't like feeling trapped."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Can I stay with you, please?"

"Where's your friend?"

"I…I gave him the slip. He wanted me to stay in the hospital longer, so when he went to go get food, I slipped out. I left him a note saying I'd be looking for you," he stumbled, and fell to his knees.

Obi-Wan offered him a hand, and he took it and yanked himself back up. Obi-Wan was surprised to feel deep calluses, and a great deal more strength than he would have expected from the short, skinny boy.

"I'm really sorry, I just couldn't take another minute in there."

Obi-Wan sighed, and Anakin walked up to the young boy, "I understand. Here, lean on me."

"We should take him to Padmé and find a way to communicate with his friend."

"Padmé?" Anakin asked in confusion.

"She's nearest," Obi-Wan supplied, watching Luke trip again.

"Oh, right," Anakin nodded, and Obi-Wan watched in amusement as he lifted Luke in his arms like a baby and cradled him there. Luke didn't protest, happily nuzzling Anakin, as though they'd known each other their whole lives.

Obi-Wan turned away, uncertain of what to think. Slave or not, Anakin was getting a little more attached than made sense. _Who am I, a Jedi, to question affection? Anakin is much better with attachments than I am._

He followed behind Anakin, watching Luke slowly fall asleep on his shoulder.

"He's grown very attached to you, hasn't he?"

Anakin shrugged, dislodging Luke for a moment, and patting his head when he didn't reawaken, "Other than the smuggler, I might be the only person who's ever given him affection. When I asked, he gave me a list of people he claimed were his friends, but I think he might have made them up."

"Anakin, you're acting parental. He's only a couple of years younger than you are."

Anakin squeezed the boy tighter and turned around, "Obi-Wan, when you're raised a slave, you don't have much of a childhood. You freed me, so I've had a bit of an opportunity to catch up, though I'll admit that being a Jedi isn't quite ideal. Luke hasn't, so I'd like to let him have the experience of being protected."

Obi-Wan pondered the words while Luke squirmed silently in Anakin's arms, apparently trying to block his ears, without the knowledge that he had hands.

"Look, it upsets him when people get angry," Anakin explained softly.

Obi-Wan blinked, "I suppose you would know better than I."

Anakin nodded, "I would. Thank you. Here, maybe if you carry him too he'll bond with you as well."

"No, thank you. I'm managing quite well without his affection. Aren't you the same man who said an apprentice would only slow him down? Doesn't that apply to him as well?"

Anakin frowned, "No, as a matter of fact, it doesn't. Besides, I like him as much as he seems to like me."

"Anakin, the Council will not be pleased to hear of this."

"Let them be displeased, I care more about Luke at the moment."

Luke made a soft sound of contentment, and Obi-Wan had to admit that it was easier to care for the helpless child than the Council at the moment.

"He's cute, I'll grant you that."

Anakin smiled and opened his mouth to answer. Then he noticed the body in his arms again and frowned, "You're right. I'm being too parental. He is nearly as old as me. Maybe you should take him, so that I don't get any more attached."

Obi-Wan smiled, "If you think getting me to carry him will be that easy, you should think again."

Anakin grinned and adjusted his grip, "I guess that was optimistic."

"Well, here we are," Obi-Wan said, entering the codes for Padmé's apartment.

"Obi-Wan? Anakin?" Padmé asked, her face projected from the lockbox.

"Yes, please let us in."

The door opened, and Obi-Wan was met with Padmé's confused expression.

"Anakin made a friend along our travels, but he needs to rest, and he won't stay in hospital. You were closest when he found us, and he couldn't balance on his own two feet, so we brought him here. If you would let us call for transportation, we'll be on our way as quickly as possible."

Padmé turned to look at Luke, who yawned, and huddled closer against Anakin.

"Is he injured?"

"Yes, but recovering."

She looked at Obi-Wan for a moment before turning back to Luke and Anakin, "You may as well keep him here until nightfall. He doesn't look harmful, and he may as well get a bit more rest before traveling any farther."

In Anakin's arms, Luke squirmed again. Obi-Wan turned to look at him for a moment before nodding, "He seems to be getting restless."

Padmé showed them to her room, and Anakin carefully put Luke on the bed, tucking him in carefully. Padmé took a seat beside him.

"Who is he?"

"He's a slave. He told us his name is Luke Solo, and he's with his cousin. Who, by the way, I should call. It's a bit hard to believe, though, because his friend is cut and dry a smuggler. We met them in the Outer Rim," Anakin explained quickly.

Padmé passed him a comlink, "I have the hospital's number on speed dial."

Anakin blinked, "You do?"

"I spend time with you, don't I? It seems like every time we get back from a mission, we're in desperate need of emergency care. Usually for you. Dial," Padmé commanded.

Anakin sighed, and made the call.

"You've done that for him?" Obi-Wan asked, amused.

"For you as well. One or both of you is always half dead by the time we get home," Padmé said sharply, "It's not frivolous, it's the most logical solution I could think of."

Luke yawned and blinked up at Obi-Wan, "Hi, Ben. Sorry! I mean Obi-Wan."

"Please tell me Anakin doesn't have you harassing me about that now too."

"I- well, yes. I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan forced a smile, "It was unfair, I agree. I'll apologize to him once he's finished calling your friend."

Luke smiled, "He's calling Han?"

"We wouldn't leave him in the hospital, thinking you'd been kidnapped. We all know what that feels like," Padmé supplied, casting a glare at Obi-Wan.

"What, I did something wrong months ago, and suddenly it's Beat on Obi-Wan day?"

Luke gave a weak laugh, "Do they do this to you often?"

"Relatively speaking."

Padmé raised an eyebrow, "Relative to what?"

"Relative to how many times you let me get away with a single slip to moral conduct?"

"Who are you?" Luke asked Padmé.

"My name is Padmé Amidala, I'm the senator for the human population of Naboo."

"Oh! Hi, I'm Luke S…solo. It's really nice to meet you," Luke smiled, and reached a hand up to shake.

Padmé accepted, then turned to Anakin, "Have you made contact with his friend?"

"He's my cousin," Luke interjected.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "We know he's not your cousin, Luke. There's no need to lie to us."

"I—," Luke shuddered, dragging himself up against the headboard, "I'm not lying! Han's the best cousin in the universe, the best cousin I could ever hope for!"

Anakin took Luke's hand, "I've made contact. He'll be here soon," he turned to Obi-Wan, "Obi-Wan, be kinder, he's been through a lot."

Luke rolled away from Obi-Wan, towards Anakin, "I have. Thank you so, so much for understanding."

"It's all right Luke, it's nothing to be ashamed of. But I know how hard it can be, I was a slave too, and I couldn't find the courage to tell you back in the hospital."

"No!" Luke shouted, biting his lip hard enough to make it bleed, "That's not it at all! I—," he broke down, sobbing, into Anakin's arms.

Obi-Wan watched as Anakin cradled the sobbing boy, wondering where he'd found the ability to comfort him so effortlessly. _It must be something he learned back on Tatooine, he must have been comforted by his mother so many times it's second nature._

"I saw what your master's done to you, and trust me, I've been through it as well. I promise he'll never find you again, though. You're safe here. Obi-Wan says I'm already acting paternal," Anakin smiled in an apparent attempt to put the boy more at ease.

Luke turned his chin up to look into Anakin's face, "I… I've never had a dad before."

Anakin smiled down at him, "Age difference aside, I'll be your dad. Until we can find yours, at least."

"I-I'm not sure that's a good idea," Luke said, looking down at his hands, then up at Obi-Wan, who had the strangest feeling that there was something he was supposed to be understanding from the boy's strange behaviour.

"Is he—," Anakin gulped, "Is he the one who sold you into slavery?"

Luke closed his eyes, and Obi-Wan saw him start to cry again.

Anakin gave the boy another squeeze, not commenting on the boy's fear, not asking again what it was for, as Obi-Wan was dying to do. _One encounter with a slave, and suddenly Anakin's the gentle one?_

Han entered the room and stared, clearly speechless, at the sight before him. Obi-Wan took a moment to take the scene in again, so as to fully understand Han's amazement, and almost laughed at the sight that met his eyes.

Padmé had joined Anakin on comforting Luke, and while Anakin supported Luke, Padmé held his hands and spoke to him softly, taking over for Anakin, who seemed to be having some sort of relapse and was crying as well. As Obi-Wan watched, she began to direct her words at him as well.

"Suddenly I feel very insensitive," Han said.

"As do I," Obi-Wan agreed.


	6. Chapter 6

"Han?" Luke whispered into the darkness. He wasn't sure where he was, but he did know that someone had tucked him into a warm bed, which smelled of his father.

"I'm here, kid. Don't worry. What do you need?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm on the floor."

Luke yawned and rolled over to see his friend. Han turned on a glow rod to a low setting, rolling over to rest on his elbows, looking up at his friend.

"You okay, kid?"

Luke nodded, smiling, "What do you think of Padmé?"

"She seems… kind of odd, actually."

"Huh?" Luke asked, "How so? She seemed great to me."

Han frowned, "I don't know. She was acting sort of odd."

"What do you mean, odd?"

"She was acting weirdly close to the Jedi. Especially Anakin."

Luke grinned, "I think she's my mom. And what do you mean, close? She just acted friendly."

"Jedi weren't supposed to be even that close to friends," Han explained, "They weren't supposed to bond with others. It always seemed like kind of a pathetic life to me."

"It did? What do you mean? The Empire banned all information about the Jedi!"

Han laughed, "Have you forgotten I'm ten years older than you? I can still remember the Jedi pretty clearly."

"You can?" Luke asked.

"Sure."

"But I thought Dad was a big hero at this time."

"He was…er, is."

"Then why didn't you ever tell me anything about him?" Luke hissed, "You know how much I want to know about him! Why didn't you _ever_ mention him?"

Han sat up, "Calm down, Kid. I thought your hero worship was out of control enough already. Besides, you seemed to know everything you needed to know about him already."

Luke crawled out of bed, sitting down on the floor beside his friend, "I would've liked to know more about him. I never knew that he was so…"

"What?" Han asked sarcastically, "Strong? Brave? Handsome?"

Luke shook his head, "No. Sad. I kind of thought he'd have been… happier. I don't like seeing him like this."

Han put an arm around Luke and he let himself relax against his friend, "He's great and everything, but I feel bad for him. I don't want to lie to him anymore. Slavery is obviously really hard on him and I don't want to tell him I'm a slave anymore. It seemed like a great plan at the time, but now I feel like I was using him."

"You weren't using him, Kid. I bet anything the truth would hurt him more. You just need to accept that he can't be happy as long as we're here. I'm sure we'll be able to figure out a way to get home soon."

"Han?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know if I want to go home," Luke said softly, bowing his head.

"What do you mean? We have to go home. Leia's waiting for us, she's probably frantic already. And there's a war going on there, in case you hadn't noticed. They're counting on us."

Luke frowned, "Maybe they are. I guess you're right, Han. I just… it feels so right to be here. I've never felt so at home before. My family is here, and they've accepted me. And there are Jedi. Han, I want to be a Jedi, and I don't have teachers anymore! This place just feels so much better."

"It hurt you at first, though."

"Yeah, it did," Luke said softly, "It hurt me because it was so surprisingly bright. It was just… the safest feeling once I got used to it. I feel like all the evil and darkness was ripped out of the galaxy. It was just a surprise for me. I love it here."

"You've gotta understand we're not staying though, right?"

Luke sighed, "Yeah. I guess. I wanna stay here, with my parents. I guess that's too selfish, though."

"Luke, I know you want to stay here, and I'm the first person to agree that in all fairness you should be allowed to stay here. But you're the one who taught me we can't always have what we want."

Luke looked around the room one more time, "We can stay for a while, though, right?"

Han laughed, "We don't have a lot of choice on that matter. It'll take a while to fix the _Falcon_."

Luke smiled, "I'm kind of glad. Do you think they'd be willing to train me? It would really help me if I had some more skills for when I need to face Vader again. Maybe something Yoda and Obi-Wan weren't as good at."

"That sounds like a plan," Han said.

"Where are we, Han?"

"Your dad's room at the Jedi Temple."

"This is the Jedi Temple? And where's he?"

"Yeah, this is the Temple. He's staying with Obi-Wan, said he wanted us to have our own space."

"This is my dad's room? He lives here?" Luke sprang to his feet, looking around again, desperately taking in everything, "But there's almost nothing in here."

"From what I've seen, that's the way the Jedi work. They don't own much at all. And they all wear the same robes."

"Huh," Luke said, walking over to the dresser and looking at the few things sitting on top. There was a smooth river stone, Luke's lightsaber, and a couple of half-folded garments.

"This is his private space, Luke," Han warned, "You probably shouldn't go poking around."

"I'm not poking around," Luke countered, "I just want to know a little more about him."

"Leave his things alone," Han said, grabbing Luke's wrist as he went to turn on the light, "And go back to sleep."

"I'm not tired," Luke argued, "I've been sleeping all day."

"Yeah, well, I haven't. Go back to bed."

"You can take the bed, Han. I'll stay on the floor."

"No, Kid. I saw Anakin making sure you were comfy, and I think he'll kill me if he thinks I've taken your bed."

"But—,"

"No. Go back to bed now, and try to sleep a little more."

Luke was about to argue again, but Han slipped back into his sleeping bag.

_I guess I should sleep,_ Luke thought, _I'd rather be properly awake when Dad is._ He crawled back into bed, and pressed his face into the pillow, _Dad usually sleeps here. This is his home. I wish it would be my home someday. I wonder what it would be like to live here._ He smiled,_ Maybe they would even consider letting me train._

There was a sudden knock at the door, and Luke sat up, "What's happening?"

The door opened, and there stood Anakin, "Sorry, Luke. Are you awake?"

Luke nodded, "I've slept plenty. You know, because of sleeping all day."

Han moaned, "I haven't finished sleeping yet."

Anakin glanced down and extended a hand to help Han to his feet.

"We've been sent on a mission to a nearby star system."

"We?" Han asked, "What makes them think they can order us around?"

Anakin folded his arms, "The Council doesn't know you're here. Obi-Wan and Padmé have agreed to keep it that way, and I'd _appreciate_ your help."

Luke stood up, carefully putting himself in the middle of their argument, "Where are we going?"

"We've detected a Separatist ship getting uncomfortably close to the Republic. We've been asked to go and head them off."

"Okay," Luke said, "Han? Are you gonna come?"

"Only for you, Kid."

"Good, let's move," Anakin said, "We need to get going now."

Luke nodded, and followed his father, once Anakin was certain they were following, Luke let himself fall back to talk to his friend, "Han, why are you so venomous when Dad's around?"

"Kid, there's something about your dad that just feels off. I don't know what it is, but something about him gives me the shivers."

Luke shivered himself. He didn't want to tell Han about Vader yet, especially not when they were just headed off with Anakin. He didn't want to think of his own father too much, not when he had finally found happiness. He would tell Han when they returned. But he didn't know if he could ever tell Anakin.


	7. Chapter 7

"How long does he intend to remain attached to Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

Han shrugged, "I dunno. Could be a long time. The kid's never had a dad before."

"A dad?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously, "Anakin isn't a father, much less Luke's."

"Hm," Han said vaguely.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Luke's always wanted to be a Jedi. Anakin has sort of accepted him. Luke's not used to being accepted like that."

"Strange. He seems so easy to become attached to."

"I thought Jedi weren't supposed to get attached."

"We're not, really. Technically we're not supposed to feel anything. In the end, it is far more something to strive for than anything we're truly expected to achieve. The Council is concerned by Anakin's lack of enthusiasm in trying."

"Does he bond like this much?" Han asked, his voice laced with poison.

"More than he should," Obi-Wan answered. But he thought, _More than a Jedi should, but not as much as he needs to. When I met him on Tatooine, he was prone to becoming too close to people too quickly, but in the shock of Qui-Gon's death, it took him a long time to find the courage to make another friend. Our bond grew, but he didn't bond with anyone else for years. And just as he was learning to make friends again, he was assigned Ahsoka. If Luke hadn't come along, I imagine he might never have made another friend._

"Huh," Han said.

"You don't like him, do you?"

Han shook his head, "I don't trust him."

"His intentions are good, I'm sure."

"Luke deserves a lot more than good intentions. Do you have any idea what he's been through? Has he been willing to talk to you about it?"

"No, each time Anakin asks him about it he bursts into tears."

"Well, I guess you have an idea of what he's been through, then."

"I do. It's been nagging me, where did Luke get his lightsaber? He's never met a Jedi, has he?" Obi-Wan asked. It was true, the question had seemed too important to ask prematurely, but he felt it was something that needed to be asked as soon as it was not too huge a risk.

"Why didn't you take his weapon away?" Han asked, sounding frustrated, "You took my blaster."

"A lightsaber is a Jedi's life. If he was a Jedi I didn't want to take that away from him when he seemed so emotionally unstable already. Where did he get his lightsaber? He's not a Jedi, is he?"

"He wants to be a Jedi. He's been forced to live through a lot, and he's just taken that to wanting to keep anyone from living through it as well. He met a Jedi once, briefly, before he was killed. The Jedi gave him a lightsaber and taught him a little. But you had the right idea not bringing it up to Luke."

Obi-Wan nodded, "I thought so. I see now why he and Anakin get along so well. Anakin has come to this in almost the same way."

"Anakin?" Han asked incredulously, "Please, whatever he's been through, he's got nothing on Luke."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to retort, but the ship landed with a long skid and he merely shook his head, "It seems we've arrived."

Han stood as well, "I guess we should get going then."

Obi-Wan took Han's blaster off his belt and passed it to the other man, "I assume you'll want this back."

"It'll help when I want to be shooting, yeah," Han answered as he took it.

Anakin raced into the corridor, looking harried. Luke followed, seeming downright frightened.

"Get moving," Anakin snapped at them, "This is personal."

Obi-Wan began to snap at him, but as Anakin slowed down, Luke had come right up into his shadow, practically clinging to him, and Obi-Wan lost his resolve. Deducting from the two men's reactions, he could only assume that the ship housed slaves.

Anakin returned to full speed, racing down the ramp, and Obi-Wan followed, Han close on his trail. As they entered the brightness of the hanger, Obi-Wan found that Anakin was leaping from battle droid to battle droid with speeds that passed most that he had ever attained. More surprising, however, was the fact that Luke had his own lightsaber out and was springing from one droid to another with almost equal speed.

"He must be a good student," Obi-Wan said.

"Attentive, for sure," Han answered, already shooting the droids that the two Jedi hadn't reached yet. Obi-Wan noted he had excellent aim before leaping into the fray himself.

As Anakin scattered the last droid across the hanger, Luke was already racing back towards him, as though he felt he needed to be close to Anakin so as to be protected from the slavers.

"Where is our next target?" Obi-Wan asked, watching as Anakin gently wrapped an arm around Luke, who seemed to have been calmed by the destruction of the several dozen droids which now littered the floor. He saw that Luke looked up into Anakin's eyes with exquisite trust, as though he knew somehow how great the care Anakin would take to protect him.

"This corridor," Anakin answered quickly, pointing down one and releasing Luke at the same time, "I've spent more than my fair share of time in these ships."

"Why do I feel that time didn't end when you were freed?"

Anakin snorted, "You think slaves are allowed on these levels?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, watching as the other three pelted off down the next corridor. He raced after them, and was close enough behind them to hear Han swear softly as he froze. As he caught up, he found Luke and Anakin already dispatching another group of battle droids. Han, however, just stood at the door and stared in horrified amazement at the slaves.

As Obi-Wan leapt into the fray, he heard Han finally manage words again, "Chewie!"

He turned to see the smuggler racing towards a wookiee who was carrying a good three hundred pound weight. The wookiee had turned to the smuggler in confusion, then he grunted something, which still sounded slightly bemused, but he put his load down and hugged the man.

Obi-Wan destroyed a droid who happened into his range of view and returned to the task at hand, but he was surprised by seeing that. It had been an unusually friendly action for the rough outlaw. The only other person he'd seen him care for so openly, or so deeply, was Luke, and they exuded a sense of having known one another for a long time.

Suddenly, friendly fire joined the chaos again, and Obi-Wan turned to see that Han had begun shooting again, and that he had somehow armed his wookiee friend as well.

As they wrecked the last of the droids, Obi-Wan saw Han and Chewie lower their weapons and begin to speak to the surrounding wookiees, calming them. Obi-Wan found Luke and Anakin standing together and joined them. Luke had a definite glow of one who didn't get many compliments, but had just received one.

"Do you know these wookiees?" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke looked around and saw the wookiee Han had greeted so enthusiastically and grinned in amazement, "That's Chewbacca! I never thought I'd see him again!"

"Why don't you go greet him, then?" Anakin asked when Luke didn't move.

"I—," Luke faltered, "He seems busy. I'll talk to him later. Where to next?" he asked, looking up at Anakin again, eager to keep going.

"We should stay together," Anakin said.

Usually, Obi-Wan would have agreed with him, but seeing the look on Luke's face, still a little bit scared, he got the impression that the boy was running to keep himself from panicking.

"You should go ahead. You seem very competent," he said, directing the compliment at Luke, who seemed to lift a couple of inches off the floor, "There's no reason to delay our rescue. If you would like to send the wookiees back to me at the shipaf, I'll arm them and they can come and assist you. I feel as though Han wouldn't mind a chance to fight with Chewbacca."

"I bet he's thrilled to see Chewie again," Luke said, smiling.

"He certainly seems to be. Go on," Obi-Wan said, "We have no reason to keep your rescue from those who need you."

Luke shook his head with great deliberation, "No, we definitely don't."

Anakin smiled, and led the way onwards. Obi-Wan watched the two run away, Luke struggling slightly to keep up with Anakin's longer strides. They certainly had become very close. Perhaps the Council would allow Anakin to train the boy. There was no denying that they needed more soldiers, and that Luke was practically trained already. It was only practical, after all, and they had stopped being idealistic peace keepers years ago. If they had lost so many morals already, what was one fewer?


	8. Chapter 8

Luke stumbled, and nearly fell, then tried to catch up to his father, "Slow down!" he hissed, "I can't keep up."

Anakin looked over his shoulder and slowed down.

"Thanks," Luke gasped, managing to catch up, "Sorry, my legs are shorter than yours are."

Anakin smiled, "I understand, don't worry about it. Would you like to rest for a few seconds?"

Luke blinked at him, confused, "But if we do that, they'll figure out we're here."

Anakin laughed, and Luke found himself smiling, "Let them come. Together, we're unstoppable."

At the phrase, so similar to Vader's demand at Cloud City, Luke had to struggle to keep the smile on his face. Why did he keep remembering Vader just when he'd just managed to make Anakin smile? He wanted to feel safe and happy now, before he had to return to his own galaxy.

Anakin's laughter had turned to concern, as he spoke, "Are you all right, Luke?"

Luke looked up at him again, wanting nothing more than to tell him everything. _I can't!_ He reminded himself, _He's still ignorant to what's going to happen._ Anakin had one hand on his shoulder, and Luke turned away, tortured, _He should enjoy what time he has left. If he knew, it would only speed the process. He would only become evil sooner._

"You're worrying me," Anakin said, turning Luke's face back towards himself.

Luke looked deep into Anakin's eyes, wanting to drown in them, and never be forced to leave, "I'm sorry."

Anakin shook his head, hugging Luke gently, and Luke closed his eyes, pressing his face against Anakin.

_What happened to my father? What did Palpatine do to him?_ Luke stepped back and looked at Anakin again, taking in the laughter lines on his face, and the gentle light in his eyes, _I don't want Anakin to have to go through whatever it was._

"Are you ready to run again?"

Luke nodded, and ran in the same direction they had been traveling, trying to run away from his fears. But something dreadful had to happen to Anakin for him to need the armour Vader wore. It couldn't be within Luke's memory, because for as long as he could remember, news feeds showed Vader in the same uniform._ What if he gets wounded while I'm here? What if I have to watch him become Vader?_

"You're keeping up better now, aren't you?" Anakin asked, his voice laced with laughter.

Luke looked over his shoulder, and found his father struggling to keep up with him.

"I'm impressed that you've learned Force speed," Anakin said, finally catching up.

"What?" Luke asked, nonplussed, and still half lost in thoughts.

"Force speed. Using the Force to move faster. Or hadn't you noticed you were doing it?"

Luke shook his head, "I hadn't noticed. I'm sorry, I'm just…" Luke sighed, unsure of how to manipulate the truth, "Falling apart, I guess. I'm just leaving bits of myself everywhere."

Anakin nodded, "I know how you feel. Sometimes I think I feel that way all the time. It can feel as though the Jedi Order, all their rules, regulations, distrust, it feels as though it's tearing you apart, doesn't it?"

"I don't know. I barely even know of the Order," Luke said despondently._ The Dark Side. He feels it approaching and taking hold. It's coming for him. I don't want him to go. I don't want him to leave my mom, and myself and Leia._

"Don't look so upset," Anakin said, "I didn't mean that quite as negatively as it sounded. Don't worry, the Order will love you. You're a perfect little model Jedi."

Luke found himself smiling again, and was slightly disturbed by the roller coaster path his emotions took around his father, "Thank you."

Anakin slowed down, "With any luck, the owners of the ship," he cringed, "The owners of the wookiees, will be around the next bend. Are you ready?"

Luke peeked around, and, sure enough, there stood a number of strange beings.

"What are they?" he asked, slightly awed, "I've never seen anything like them."

"Trandoshans," Anakin answered, "They're pretty common slavers. This shouldn't be too hard, but don't let your guard down."

Luke nodded, "I'm ready, then."

Anakin nodded, "On the count of three. One… two… three!"

Luke leapt out from their hiding spot, lightsaber blazing. He began to take down the droids that surrounded the slavers, fully expecting Anakin to be right beside him. As he realized that his father was not, he turned to look for him. Surely the droids couldn't have taken him down, could they?

Much to his dismay, Anakin was standing amongst the slavers, with his lightsaber activated, glaring at them. Two already lay dead at his feet, and the others seemed to be about to follow.

"No! You can't!" Luke shouted, racing towards Anakin.

Anakin spun to face him, and Luke caught a glimpse of yellow eyes. He shivered, just as Anakin's eyes reverted to blue and he shouted, "Luke! Duck!"

Luke did as he was told, throwing himself to the deck just as four lightsabers met where he had been a moment before. _Blue? Green? I thought Sith used red lightsabers._ He thought dazedly, rolling away from his attacker.

Anakin soared over him, leaping for his assailant, and Luke sat up. He turned to his father and attacker, who had reduced themselves to a mere glow of speeding weapons._ I can't get in there,_ he thought, _either one of them might_ accidentally_ take my head off._

He turned his attentions to the remaining droids, then herded the slavers into a corner with no exits.

Finally, he returned his attention to the duel his father was engaged in, and saw that it had slowed almost to a standstill. He was surprised to note that the assailant was also a droid, although considerably more adept than the ones he had been fighting, which seemed to have to consult one another on each shot. It had apparently lost two sabers in their fight, and Luke spotted them rolling around the room.

He watched in horror as the strange, ungainly droid locked sabers with his father, his two remaining blades scissoring Anakin's familiar blue one. Luke cast a final glare at the slavers, sincerely hoping it was a fraction as menacing as his father's from earlier, then raced towards the fray. As he neared the fight, the droid turned to him, and Luke was startled to see living eyes gazing out of the plastisteel casing. It gave him a meaningful stare, and began to slide its blades up Anakin's. As Luke finally came close enough to be able to be of help, the droid being gave a flick with both lightsabers, which sent Anakin's saber flying, along with one hand.

Luke flinched in sympathy, but Anakin just snarled in frustration, already wrenching off the remains of the glove that had covered his right hand, and Luke saw it was only a bundle of wires. Anakin seemed to turn off the artificial nerves, and managed to turn his head up just in time to see the droid's lightsabers both headed for his chest.

"Don't you _dare!_" Luke shouted, trying to achieve the same matter of fact flick that had taken his father out, but finding the resistance to be far greater than he'd expected. He managed to deflect it from Anakin's chest to the ground just to his right.

The droid-person laughed at him, and Luke began to quake slightly as the droid kept his saber still with one of his own, and began to spin the other one menacingly. He tried to use the same trick the thing had used against Anakin, sliding his lightsaber up that of the creature until it reached the hilt. Unable to use the same flick as he'd used against Anakin, Luke's blade simply slipped through the hilt and he was immensely glad as it flickered and died.

His opponent looked at the melted stub of weapon in his hand and snarled, tossing it aside._ One lightsaber against one lightsaber,_ Luke told himself, _I can do this. I've done this before._

Anakin had brought his lightsaber back to his left hand, and managed to stand, although Luke noticed suddenly that he had a slash across the living flesh of his left arm as well.

"Stay back!" Luke shouted, dodging a blow.

Anakin faltered, then allowed himself to sink to the floor._ Thank the Force,_ thought Luke,_ I've never fought with someone else on my side before. I probably would have hurt him._

He dodged behind a desk, and the lightsaber sliced through it. Luke realized that Vader had been being careful with him back at Bespin, making sure he didn't kill him. That was when a very strange thing occurred to Luke. _I don't want to die without saying goodbye to him!_ And though he tried to convince himself that the thought as of Anakin, he knew that it was in fact for Vader.

"Luke!" Anakin called, "His chest area is sensitive!"

_His chest?_ Luke wondered, _His chest looks just as indomitable as the rest of him!_ But he shrugged aside his uncertainty and used the Force to wrench it open. He tried to stab at the being's chest, but it deflected his saber and he found he couldn't get even close.

_I need to distract him,_ he thought, _I need… something to get his attention away from me._ And much to his surprise, he found himself using a technique his father had used against him in their battle on Bespin, yanking a console off the wall and sending it at his opponent's head. The droid merely ducked.

Luke tried again, this time using a chair, which was also ducked, and Luke barely avoided crashing into himself._ Why isn't this working?_

"You have the advantage," Anakin told him, "He's not Force sensitive. You just need to summon one of the lightsabers I managed to separate him from."

"He's not Force sensitive?" Luke gasped, _Well, thank the Force for that. If he was, we'd both be dead by now. I can't use two sabers… I have no idea how to dual wield._

He found the technique Anakin had suggested and the one he was already using melding seamlessly, and a lit lightsaber flew at the droid-being. As it slashed through his chest, Luke gave a sigh of relief, letting the other saber bounce harmlessly off his own, and then relaxing.

"Luke, he's not dead," Anakin warned, and Luke turned back to see him throw his last saber in Anakin's direction.

In a panic, he sliced through the droid vertically, then several times horizontally. Once he was completely certain that there was no way in the galaxy it could still be functioning, he turned back to his father, who had seated himself atop one of the desks, and was kneading the wound on his left arm with the stump of his left.

Luke clipped his lightsaber to his belt and ran back to his father, hugging him tightly, "I'm so glad you're all right."

Anakin smiled, returning the hug with one arm, and much weaker than Luke would have liked.

"You are all right, aren't you?"

"I've been worse," Anakin said, indicating the bundle of wires.

"Yeah, I guess. I – I thought he was going to kill you for a second there."

"So did I," Anakin said simply, "You did a great job."

Luke looked over at the slavers, who had stayed huddled in the corner he'd pushed them into, "What do we do about them?"

Anakin raised his left arm to his mouth and used the Force to turn on the comlink sewn into his glove.

"Master?" he asked, and Luke was silent, waiting, "We've found the slavers. We captured them, but I've lost—,"

"Not your lightsaber," Obi-Wan's voice sounded with disapproval, and Luke watched in amazement as Anakin grinned.

"Not this time."

"He lost his whole hand," Luke supplied.

Obi-Wan's voice sighed, and Anakin shrugged at Luke, smiling, "His right one, I hope."

"Yes," Anakin answered, "And below the point of previous amputation."

"I suppose we should call that a victory. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Anakin deactivated his comlink and looked at Luke with concern, "Are you all right? Did he manage to hit you anywhere?"

Luke shook his head dazedly, "No, I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine," Anakin reprimanded gently, "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

Luke nodded hesitantly.

"Can you tell me?" Anakin asked gently.

"I – not here," Luke said, "Not with them listening," he gestured to their prisoners.

"There's no need to fear them, Luke. They don't deserve that respect."

Luke shook his head, "I don't respect them. That's why I don't want them to hear what I have to say. Can I help you? That slash looks painful."

Anakin shrugged and grimaced as he jogged it, "There's not much we can do here. Sit down, your pacing is worrying me."

Luke did as he was told, climbing back up onto the desk and looking down at his hands, trying to ignore Anakin's concerned gaze.

Finally Obi-Wan entered, bringing Han and Chewbacca with himself.

"Are you all right?" he asked Luke and Anakin.

They nodded, and he and the other two cuffed the slavers, and Han and Chewie began to take them back to their ship.

"Can you help him, Luke?" Obi-Wan asked, "I think that Han and Chewbacca might need someone to keep them from doing anything… uncivilized."

Luke nodded and stood. Anakin followed him readily, and he thought that Anakin didn't seem to need any help.

As Obi-Wan hurried to catch up with the other two, Luke carefully put his father's arm around his neck, despite Anakin's protests.

Once he had accepted Luke's help, Anakin asked, "What's wrong, Luke?"

Luke bit his lip. He didn't know how to explain to his father what he had seen, and sensed, and known was coming, without being forced to reveal the future.

"It's not the Jedi way," he managed at last, "Killing unarmed prisoners, I mean. It was wrong."

Anakin bowed his head, "I know, Luke. I'm sorry I frightened you."

"And it's not just that," Luke admitted, "Your eyes turned yellow, and… I felt something awful and evil."

"I'm very sorry," Anakin said again, "I get carried away sometimes. It happens to all of it doesn't it? I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention that to Obi-Wan, though."

"I won't," Luke promised, "But in return, can you promise me that you won't do that again, please?"

Anakin frowned, "I can't promise you, but I don't want to hurt you. I'll try not to, alright?"

Luke nodded, feeling immensely comforted, "Thank you. You scared me so much," he admitted, "I thought –," he felt himself stumble over his words again, "I thought I'd lost my new family after that's already happened… too many times."

Anakin nodded, kindly, understandingly, and Luke felt worse than ever. Anakin and Vader did in fact seem to be completely different people, neither affecting the other, and he worried that his own father, his own Anakin, was gone for good.


	9. Chapter 9

Anakin watched Luke walk back over to his friend, who had finished making sure that the wookiees were all aware that they were free, and had returned to the cockpit with Chewbacca. They exchanged a few quiet words, and then Han hugged Luke tightly and gently directed him back towards Anakin.

Seeing his friend's face, Anakin noticed a few tears still clinging to his cheeks and that he was looking quite red in the face.

"I can trust you with piloting, Master?" he asked Obi-Wan.

"You would allow me to pilot? I'm honoured, Anakin," Obi-Wan teased.

Anakin ignored him and hugged the boy, who was looking very small and pathetic, needing attention, one-armed.

"Come on, Luke. We'll go back to the hanger, and our ship, all right?"

Luke sniffled and nodded. Anakin felt Luke's fingers slip into his hand and he smiled at the boy, who looked up with the same complete trust he had shown from their first meeting.

"Still not feeling completely safe from slavers?" he asked.

Luke turned away, and Anakin felt his hand start to shake in his own.

"You'll be okay," Anakin promised, "You can protect yourself well, and I'll be glad to help you as well."

Suddenly Luke released his hand and began to run down the hallway of the ship. Anakin ran after him, not wanting to let the boy out of his sight while in pain. Each time his arm moved, it shot pain up to his shoulder, but he ignored it. He'd get treatment when he returned home, but Luke clearly needed his help now.

At last Luke sat down in the cockpit of their ship. Anakin took the seat next to him, and watched as Luke turned to him, crying much harder. Anakin wrapped his arm around Luke, who accepted his affection gratefully.

"Luke, you know that I'm here whenever you need me, don't you?" he asked.

Luke nodded slightly, "Yeah, I know. I just get scared when you get angry sometimes. It's too… familiar."

Anakin thought he sensed a deeper meaning behind the words, but he pushed the thought aside and merely continued to hug Luke, who sobbed.

"There's more wrong than the slavers, isn't there?"

Luke pulled away, and Anakin watched helplessly as he shook his head, tears racing down his cheeks.

He moved Luke's chin up until he was looking into his face, "Can you tell me what's wrong? Or is that too hard?"

Luke gazed at him for a moment, the tears slowing. The boy blinked uncertainly, then turned away. A moment later, he was looking at Anakin again, "I can't."

He watched as his friend closed his eyes again and simply turned away. He watched concernedly as Luke slowly stopped moving. Finally he looked around his friend and saw his eyes closed, noting that his breathing was slow.

_Asleep,_ he thought thankfully, _Maybe he'll feel better now. Sometimes a bit of sleep is all it takes._

He sat silently, making certain that Luke wouldn't wake up and feel abandoned.

Several minutes later, he heard Han entering the ship. He looked up, and saw the smuggler enter.

"What've you done to Luke?" Han snarled.

"I haven't done anything with him. He's here, asleep. Don't speak too loudly, or we might wake him. I don't think anger will make him feel any better."

Han nodded and turned to look at Luke, "He's all right, you think?"

"He'll be all right. He's upset, but I think he'll feel better once he's slept."

"Well, we've arrived. I'll take him," Han said, carefully lifting Luke's sleeping body.

Anakin followed him closely, watching as Luke shifted in his arms.

"Can you take him back to my room for me? You'll be staying with Obi-Wan tonight, all right?"

Han glared at him over their sleeping friend, "I'm staying with Luke. Look at him, he's going to want me when he wakes up. Besides, you need to go to the hospital."

"Fine. You're right. I guess Obi-Wan would want that too. When I come back, you're going to stay with Obi-Wan. And if you wake him, so help me, I might do something I'll regret."

Han nodded nervously, and Anakin finished escorting them to his quarters before heading off to the medbay. Much to his chagrin, his squirming, his impatience to return to his friend, greatly slowed the healing process.

Once he finally managed to shake off the last droid, who was trying to remove the bandage from his left arm, he raced back to his quarters. Han was sitting in a chair beside his bed, where Luke had curled in his sleep.

Anakin sat down next to the child and began ripping the last coverings off his arm. When he was done, he leaned on the wall and watched Luke moving slightly in his sleep. Han yawned and rolled off the chair, waking up with a curse, which he silenced rapidly, looking over at Luke.

Luke merely rolled over. Anakin grudgingly helped the smuggler to his feet. He didn't like the man, he was too hardened, but he had reacted to the slaves similarly to Anakin, and he couldn't help respecting the care he'd shown.

"Are you all right?" he whispered.

Han nodded, and yanked his arm away, "I'll be fine. Should I go, then?"

Anakin nodded, and Han took one look at Luke, then left.

Anakin returned to his friend's side, and pulled a blanket over himself. Luke mumbled something and rolled over again, putting his head on Anakin's knee, along with one hand. He mumbled again, and curled up against him.

Anakin smiled, putting his head back and starting to go to sleep. Luke's muttering became more frantic, and he gripped Anakin's knee with startling strength. Anakin sat up straight, and Luke started to twitch and struggle against the blankets.

"Wake up, Luke," Anakin said, shaking Luke gently, "Wake up."

Luke cried out, "Father!"

"You're not at home, Luke. Wake up."

"Father! Father, let them go! Please!" Luke's other hand gripped the blankets and the one on Anakin's knee dug in even deeper.

Anakin shook Luke as hard as he could, and the young Jedi blinked once, then clung to Anakin with such strength that, despite his best attempt, Anakin couldn't remove him.

"Daddy," Luke sobbed into Anakin's tunic, "Daddy, don't leave me again! P-please don't send me away!"

"Luke, it's all right. It was only a dream. You're safe here. Now let me go, please."

Luke's arms only tightened around Anakin's neck, and he sobbed more loudly, "Please don't renounce me! You're all I've got here! I've been taken away from my home, and I don't want to be alone!"

Anakin hugged the sobbing boy, who was shrieking in terror between wails and gasps for breath.

"It's all right, Luke. You're not alone, I'm here, and you have your friend Han."

Luke simply wailed again, clinging to Anakin, "Where's Han? What've you done to him? You didn't put him back in carbonite, did you?"

Now thoroughly confused, Anakin squeezed Luke tightly, and Luke immediately squeezed a little tighter, "I didn't do anything to him. I sent him to sleep in Obi-Wan's room. He's all right, and you're all right too."

"Ben!" Luke howled, "Where is he? What have you done to him?"

Anakin tried again to lower Luke to his bed, "It's all right, Luke. I haven't done anything to anyone. I'm sorry I frightened you back on the slavers' ship. I was angry because of what they'd done, you can understand that, can't you?"

"Daddy," Luke sobbed again, clinging even tighter, "Daddy."

"Shh," Anakin said, giving up on trying to understand, for the moment, at the very least, "Shh, you'll be okay. Relax. Take a few deep breaths."

Luke wailed once more, then clung tightly to Anakin's shoulders and took a deep breath.

"That's right, can you do that again?"

Luke nodded, taking another gasping breath.

"Do you feel better now?"

Luke nodded slowly, pressing himself against Anakin again, "Yes, Dad."

Anakin laughed awkwardly, "What did you just call me?"

Luke took another deep breath and let out a sob, "Don't. Don't pretend you don't know who I am. You're my father, and you mean the galaxy to me."

Anakin lifted him, deciding he was too confused to walk for himself, "You'll be all right. I'm going to take you to see Han and Obi-Wan now, okay?"

Luke nodded and carefully extracted himself from Anakin's arms, although he made sure Anakin kept an arm around him, and Anakin felt that it was all that supported him.

"I'm gonna be okay," Luke repeated.

"That's right," Anakin promised, leading Luke across the hall to his teacher's room, "You'll be fine," he finished as they entered.

Obi-Wan seemed to have sensed Luke's distress, and was standing from his sleeping place on the floor, while Han snored loudly from the bed.

The moment Luke set eyes on Obi-Wan, he attached himself to the older Jedi.

"Luke?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ben," Luke mumbled, "I'm so glad. I'm so, so glad you're all right!"

Obi-Wan hugged Luke cautiously, looking to Anakin for an answer.

Anakin shrugged, and Luke finally released Obi-Wan to lift Han in a hug. The smuggler blinked awake, and without question hugged his friend, dragging himself properly upright.

"Are you all right, Luke?" Han asked, "Did you have one of your nightmares again?"

Luke let out another sob and then nodded slightly, "Yeah."

Anakin took a seat and watched as Han calmed his friend completely, then set him against the wall, where he wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled awkwardly around at them.

"You were pretty worked up, huh?" Han asked, finally letting his amusement show.

"I think so," Anakin said, "He called me daddy."

Han whipped around to stare at Anakin, "He did what?"

Luke looked down at his knees, "I'm sorry, Han."

Anakin looked from one man to the other, confused, "Why is he apologizing?"

Luke looked back up at Han, silently begging for help.

"Oh, no, Junior. You got yourself into this."

Luke looked to Obi-Wan as well before turning to Anakin, looking very ashamed, "I called you my father because you are."

"Luke, that doesn't make sense," Anakin said, completely thrown.

"That's only the beginning of it," Luke groaned.

"I do not have a kid," Anakin argued.

"I'm pretty sure your wife is pregnant," Han interjected unhelpfully.

"Wife?" Obi-Wan asked, glaring at Anakin, who was much too preoccupied to care, or even really notice.

"Pregnant?" he demanded.

Han blinked at Obi-Wan, but didn't turn to Anakin before saying, "…Shit."

"Han," Luke warned.

Anakin stared at Han, and was suddenly very aware of Obi-Wan staring at him.

"Anakin, you know the code," Obi-Wan finally said.

Anakin bowed his head, and found Luke still looking up at him. His friend looked very alone, despite the fact that Han was still sitting next to him, holding his hand.

"You don't want me either, do you," Luke said, though it was not phrased like a question. Anakin immediately wondered who else might have abandoned him, and if he was referring to the fact Anakin hadn't raised – but Anakin's thinking was getting ridiculous.

"Luke, I think you owe us some explanation," Obi-Wan said kindly.

Luke sighed, "I guess I do."

"Well?"

Luke looked around at them again, with a trapped expression on his face that made Anakin wish that he didn't need so desperately to know. Luke shook his head and began to cry, "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, unsure of how to answer. He certainly didn't want Luke to cry any more, but he knew it would be important to Obi-Wan to know exactly where Luke had come from, and he couldn't deny being curious himself.

"I just wanna go back to bed," Luke moaned.

Obi-Wan smiled at him, before turning to Anakin, "Why don't you take him back to bed? I think understanding can wait a little longer."

Luke sobbed again and reached for Anakin. Still confused and uncertain, Anakin ignored the events of the night and took Luke's hand, helping him to his feet. Luke stumbled against him, and cried harder.

"Dad?" Luke asked.

"Not now," Anakin said, "Let's keep that for at least until you've explained."

Luke nodded despondently, and allowed Anakin to tuck him into bed. Anakin watched over him until he was fast asleep, then rolled a mattress out on the floor for himself. He watched as Luke's hand slipped over the edge, reaching for something. Anakin wrapped one hand around his friend's hand, and Luke slipped deeper into sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Luke awoke to find Anakin still sitting over his bed. He quickly closed his eyes, hoping that his father hadn't noticed.

"How do you feel this morning?" Anakin asked.

Luke sighed, of course he wouldn't have any such luck, "I just want to go back to sleep."

"You don't want to talk about it yet, do you?" Anakin asked gently. Luke found himself smiling slightly as Anakin started petting his head.

"No, I don't. I just… I don't want to be turned away. You understand that, don't you?" Luke curled closer to his father.

"Of course I understand. They don't know about Padmé, do they?"

"She is my mom, isn't she?" Luke asked, cautiously opening his eyes.

Anakin smiled down at him, "Assuming you are my son, which I still find difficult to believe, yes. She's my wife."

Luke laughed, "I still can't quite believe it. Does this mean you're not going to drag me off to explain to Obi-Wan right this moment?"

"I won't," Anakin promised, "Would you like to go get food? You haven't eaten in almost twenty four hours. There's no point in doing something unpleasant on an empty stomach."

Luke sat up, suddenly very aware of the hunger gnawing a hole in his stomach, "I'd love that. But won't Obi-Wan notice?"

Anakin laughed, and stood up, leading Luke over to the closet, "Do you honestly think I just walk out the front door when I want to see Padmé," he pulled aside his belongings, revealing a door behind them.

Luke laughed, feeling foolish, "I guess not. Where does that take us?"

"A maintenance hall," Anakin answered, leading Luke through. Luke carefully arranged the cloaks over the door, and then closed it.

"So, where are we going?" Luke asked, following as his father led him down the hall.

"I thought we might go to see your mom, if you'd like," Anakin offered.

"I—," Luke stumbled over his words, "I would like that. But – we don't have to tell her, do we?"

"Not if you don't want to. You just let me know if you want to explain to her, all right?"

Luke nodded, "Thank you so much for understanding. It means a lot to me, really. Where I'm from…" he cut himself off before he could say anything more.

"We don't exactly have a good relationship where you're from, do we?"

Luke bit his lip very hard and shook his head, "Not good at all."

Anakin turned back to him, and Luke bit his lip harder, desperately not wanting to burst into tears. Not now, not when he was finally with his father. He didn't want to disgrace himself.

Anakin seemed to forgive Luke's fear, and decide not to mention it until later. He opened another door onto a landing platform, and showed Luke to a yellow speeder.

"I noticed you like to fly," Anakin said.

"I do," Luke said, smiling, "Uncle Owen used to joke that I was flying before I could walk."

Anakin laughed, "Would you like to drive, then?"

Luke nodded enthusiastically, "I'd love to. Thank you so much. It makes me feel much better."

Anakin climbed into the passenger seat, and Luke took the wheel, "We have a lot in common," Anakin told him.

Luke turned to his father, smiling hopefully, "Really?"

"Definitely. Have you ever tried working with mechanicals?"

"I love machines! I'm usually pretty good with them too."

"I am too, it's how I calm down when flying isn't an option. I get a lot of practice too, because I keep losing lightsabers."

"Losing?" Luke asked incredulously, "I thought a lightsaber was a Jedi's life."

"Thank the Force it's not literal. You have no idea how many times he's lectured me about that. But no matter how hard I try to hold onto them, they get dropped in bottomless caverns, or cut in half, or… or a lot of things. The end result is, I start a mission with a lightsaber, and end it with a maximum of half a lightsaber. And then I get a minimum of a half hour lecture."

Luke laughed, "I feel a little bit better about having lost my first one now." _Yours, technically._

"You've only lost one? You're definitely doing better than most Jedi. Even Obi-Wan has been forced to admit to ruining a couple. He hasn't managed anything too dramatic though, he claims he's just got a couple that aren't waterproof wet. I guess we can't all be creative with destruction," he shrugged.

"You'll tell me when to turn, won't you?" Luke asked. He had been flying the speeder straight so far.

"Yes, I will."

"What are we going to tell Mom?"

"I'm not going to tell her anything," Anakin said, "I'll let you tell her what you want to. I'm just going to say that when we freed the wookiee slaves, you had a flashback and you need some time to be pampered."

Luke sighed, "That is the truth, I guess."

"Here, that's her apartment there," Anakin offered, pointing.

"Okay," Luke said, flying up the building to the landing platform.

Anakin climbed out of the speeder and Luke followed him closely. He watched as his father knocked softly on the door, wondering how many times he'd done so before. Padmé came to the door, already dressed with her hair half done.

"Hello, Anakin," she opened the door, smiling at Anakin, "You brought Luke with you?"

Luke nodded, feeling himself shrinking into his father's shadow again. It was something he'd become very used to doing, something Anakin had actually seemed to support._ I guess he thought it was me needing physical protection from slavers._

"Yes," Anakin said, "I hope you don't mind. We found ourselves on a mission to save some slaves and Luke had a little bit of a relapse. I thought going to see a good friend would help him to feel better."

"I don't mind at all," Padmé said kindly, "Come in, both of you. I was just about to order some breakfast, would you like to join me?"

"Uh-huh," Luke answered before he could think about it.

"Would you give me a hand?" Padmé asked, gesturing to the back of her head, "This style requires something I can't do without seeing it."

"Don't look at me," Anakin said, "Surely you remember last time I tried to help you with your hair."

"I could try," Luke offered, "I have a friend who likes to do fancy things with her hair. I've helped her a few times. Would you like me to try?"

Padmé looked at him for a moment, then nodded. She seated herself on the sofa, and Luke sat on the back behind her, listening attentively as she explained the process.

"And would you call for our breakfast, Anakin?"

Anakin smiled at Luke, who was working hard to continue braiding his mother's hair. He then activated a little datapad and typed in a request for three human-geared meals.

Luke finally finished with his mother's hair and climbed down to sit beside her.

"Thank you, Luke," she said, finishing with the part of her head she could reach.

Anakin took a seat on Luke's other side, and he found himself easily falling back into the role he'd originally gained entirely by accident: son. He thought of how his father had originally interpreted it as a need for affection spawned by being raised a slave. He resolved to find out if there was anything he could do to make Anakin feel that having been a slave was nothing to let go on hurting him, and that no one had decided to like him any less for it.

Anakin put an arm around him, making Luke feel wonderfully safe and cared for. Padmé smiled at them, "Obi-Wan wasn't joking when he said you acted parental to him, Anakin."

"I know," Anakin said, and Luke heard laughter in his voice, "I am, aren't I?"

Padmé looked at Anakin, and Luke read what she hadn't said, "He told me," Luke supplied.

Anakin nodded and hugged Luke a little more tightly.

"You've grown very attached to him, haven't you?"

"I guess I have," Anakin said.

Padmé smiled at Luke, "You like Anakin too, don't you?"

"He's great," Luke smiled, "I've never known anyone so caring."

"The reason I was wondering," Padmé said at last, "Is that, well," she allowed her posture to slip for a moment, and the pregnancy Luke had expected became obvious.

He felt Anakin jump up and watched as he leapt to his feet and wrapped his arms around Padmé, "You're pregnant?"

"Yes, Anakin, now please stop squeezing me, the sensation is strange enough without your help."

Anakin laughed and released her, "I'm sorry, I'm just so glad," he looked at Luke over her head, and she turned to look at him as well.

"May I hug you as well?" Luke asked hopefully. He hoped it didn't deviate too much from whatever act he had accidentally been putting on to put his father at ease earlier.

His mother smiled, and held out her arms. Luke stood up, and hugged her, glad to feel a parent's loving arms around him again.

When Padmé released him, he found Anakin's arms around him again. _It's almost like he wants to be my father as much as I want him to be! I hope… I hope he keeps feeling this way. The only trouble is, I don't want to go home. I want to stay here, with my mom and dad who love me, and not need to face Vader's uncaring again._

A waiter droid arrived with their meals, and Anakin directed Luke to sit. Luke found himself gravitating back towards his father, who accepted him without question.

"Are you eating properly?" Anakin asked Padmé concernedly.

Padmé smiled, and Luke found himself returning it, "I always take care of myself, Anakin."

Anakin nodded, "I know you do, Padmé. I just worry about you, especially now that I know that you're caring for two."

Luke watched as his father pressed a hand to his mother's belly.

"He kicked me!" Anakin declared enthusiastically.

Padmé laughed, "You get used to it, when they decide to do that at all hours of the night."

Luke decided that feeling himself kick was one opportunity he was all right with missing out on. He quickly took another bite of whatever was on the plate Anakin had passed him. Then he pretended not to have noticed that Padmé had given him a glance which asked fairly openly if he would like to feel her belly.

Finally, Anakin took Luke's plate, and stacked both of them atop the table, "We need to return to the Temple. I'll see you again soon?"

Padmé stood and kissed Anakin. Luke slipped back into his father's shadow. He loved how Anakin allowed him to stand there, feeling safe and loved, taken care of. It was something Vader would never allow him, and just one more reason on the constantly growing pile of reasons he didn't want to go home.

"Come on, Luke. We have to go," Anakin said, and Luke realized that he'd fallen behind. He hurried to catch up, and Anakin led him back to the speeder that had brought them.

"Would you like to," Anakin turned to Luke, and noticed the tears on his face, "Never mind. I'll drive. Relax, and take some time to think about how to explain this."

Luke nodded, and climbed into the passenger's seat. Anakin looked at him kindly, "Would you like to talk to me about it first?"

"I-," Luke stuttered, "I don't want to go through it more than once."

He felt a sob break through. He squeezed his eyes shut, and soon Anakin had his arms around him.

"I understand, Luke. Would it be easier for you if I told them the truth about Padmé first?"

Luke shook his head, "No, thank you. Only one of us has to go through that today. I'll just explain everything in one go. Thank you for offering, though."

Anakin lifted the ship, and Luke wrapped his arms around himself, looking out at the city, "Where I'm from, I could never be here."

"Why not?" Anakin asked, and Luke felt an urge not to answer.

"In the galaxy I was raised in," he said hesitantly, "The Republic was turned into the Empire by Darth Sidious, and I'm a leader of the resistance."

"You are?" Anakin asked, and Luke was horrified to hear surprise in his voice. _He's not going to reject me for it, is he?_

"I am, and his second in command is out to turn me to the Dark Side."

"You're a Jedi, aren't you?"

Luke nodded, "I am."

"I bet your master is worried sick about you by now."

Luke bit his lip, "I don't have a master. Vader killed my teachers, and just about everyone who's ever cared for me. I only have some friends waiting for me there. I want to have parents who love me," Luke said, looking up into Anakin's face, "This place is everything I've ever dreamed of."

Anakin smiled sadly, "You feel obliged to go home, don't you?"

"I am home," Luke answered emphatically, "But I need to return to where I was born."

"Your friends will be lost without you," Anakin said, "You'll be safe with them, you know."

"I know. But… no one's bothered to take me under their wing as a child since Obi-Wan, and it's all I really want."

"What's happened to Padmé that she's not being your parent?" Anakin asked. Luke couldn't help but notice that he hadn't even considered himself. How had he become Vader, a man who could cut off his own son's hand and then go ahead and tear apart everything he thought he'd known?

"Mom's… Dad, Mom's dead. I don't know what happened, but I never knew her."

"Oh," Anakin said haltingly, "I'm sorry, Luke."

"And you… aren't around. You never have been."

"Not around?" Anakin asked.

"Just… you've never been a part of my life until recently. And now, it's sort of dubious."

"What do you mean by that?" Anakin asked kindly.

Luke sighed, "It's just that… you're very busy. You don't really have time for a son, and so you're trying to recruit me to help you. I don't think he – you know it hurts me."

Anakin frowned, "I'm sorry he treats you badly."

"I think he's trying to show that he does care for me. He's just always been so busy that he doesn't know what would really and truly matter to me."

Anakin sighed, "I'm sorry he's hurt you so much."

Luke started to cry. He'd fought for so long not to cry near his father, but then, suddenly, he realized that it was a defining characteristic that separated Anakin from Vader. Vader would be repulsed, but Luke was certain that Anakin would accept his fears and worries and need of comfort, and cater to them. If things went according to plan, he didn't have long to enjoy that affection.

Anakin turned to him, a concerned look on his face, "Luke? Are you? Oh, Luke. Here, chew on this and we can go to my room and you can cry for as long as you need to before we go talk to Obi-Wan. Would that make you feel better?"

Luke took the nutrition bar Anakin offered him and bit down hard. Like most nutrition bars, it was completely rubbery, and chewing on it allowed him to slow his tears slightly, "Yes, please."

Anakin looked at him again, then pulled the ship in for a landing. He helped Luke out of the speeder, and Luke managed to stand straight, following him back to his room. There, Anakin removed the remaining nutrition bar from his hand and pushed him onto his bed. Then he sat down beside Luke and put an arm around him.

For the first time in his life, Luke was glad of his small stature. He felt properly small, curled up under his father's arm.

"You're all right, Luke," Anakin promised.

Luke nodded, "I just need to cry for a bit."

"I know. Go ahead, I understand."

Luke pressed closer against Anakin, "I don't want to go back to the Empire. I want to stay here, with you."

He stiffened as a knock came on the door.

"Come in," Anakin said, carefully shielding Luke.

The door opened, and Luke forced himself to look up. There stood Han, Obi-Wan just slightly behind him, "I thought I heard you get back," Han said.

Luke blinked at him for a moment, then buried his face against Anakin again. As he started to cry harder, he felt a hand on his back. He turned slightly, and saw Obi-Wan sitting beside him, gently caressing his tense shoulders.

"Han told me everything," Obi-Wan soothed, "I'm sorry, Luke."

Luke blinked up at him for a moment, then smiled weakly, "Thank you, Ben."

Obi-Wan nodded, "You are most welcome."

Han smiled at him too, "I've almost fixed the _Falcon_," he said, "We'll be headed home soon."

"Right," Luke said, forcing a smile, "Home."


	11. Chapter 11

Obi-Wan was beginning to understand Anakin's occasional fear of sleep. If he had one more nightmare, he might gain it as well. He blinked at his pillow, then sat up, glancing over to see that Han was still fast asleep.

_Good._ He thought, _I'd rather think for a while, and he doesn't endorse sitting still and meditating._

He crossed his legs and closed his eyes,_ Luke claims to be Anakin's son, how could that possibly be the case?_ But no answer came to him from the Force, only a certainty that it was true._ They do resemble one another, except… Luke has so little of Anakin's darkness. Now, with Luke, Anakin is losing it, of course. I haven't seen him this happy since his mother died. We can't hide Luke and Han forever, though. How am I to explain this to the council?_

He heard the door open, and someone crawled around the bed, "Master Kenobi?" a voice asked.

"Luke? What are you doing here?"

"Father's having a nightmare, and I can't wake him up. It's starting to really worry me!"

"I see," Obi-Wan said, and Luke crawled silently back around the bed, standing up as he entered the hallway. Obi-Wan followed him, and then led the way into Anakin's room. His apprentice was, sure enough, writhing in his sleep, crying out. Luke's body language became very closed, nervous, and Obi-Wan took his friend's shoulder and shook hard.

"Anakin, wake up, you're having a nightmare," Anakin didn't respond, "Wake up, Anakin. Anakin, you're scaring Luke."

Anakin blinked, gasping air, "Master?"

"Are you all right?"

Anakin sat up, noticed Luke, who was still standing awkwardly aside, and looking frightened, and put an arm around him, "Palpatine is going to be kidnapped," he said matter-of-factly.

"Again?"

Anakin sighed, nodding, "Again. We should go tell the council."

Obi-Wan nodded, but his comm beeped. He quickly turned away from Anakin, who was hugging Luke and quietly promising that the dream had been nothing to worry about. Now was probably not the best time for the Council to learn of Han and Luke.

"Yes, Master?"

A small holo of Yoda activated, "Kidnapped, Chancellor Palpatine has been."

Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin, "You never fail."

"Not when the prediction is negative," Anakin said.

"Your job, it is, to rescue our leader once again," Yoda said, "Believe, I do not, that the Separatists have taken him far."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said.

The comm deactivated and he looked at Anakin, who had released Luke, "We should go," he said.

Anakin nodded, "Come on, Luke, you should come as well."

Luke nodded, and Obi-Wan said, "I'll go wake Han."

"I'll get Rex to find us a couple of extra ships," Anakin said, standing up, and stepping into the maintenance hall behind his room.

"Wait for me!" Luke exclaimed, "I'm coming too!" he bolted after Anakin.

Obi-Wan returned to his room and shook Han gently, "Wake up, Han. We're going on a mission."

Han blinked, "Again? I thought this place was supposed to be more peaceful than home. Man, I might as well be back with the Alliance."

Obi-Wan watched as he pulled himself up, "Anakin is getting us ships to fly. We're rescuing the Chancellor."

Han yawned, shook his head hard, and stood up, "All right. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Luke certainly has more enthusiasm in the mornings than you do."

"Tell me about it. That kid can be up at any time of the day."

Obi-Wan led Han after the Skywalkers.

"I get the feeling this happens a lot," Han said through a yawn.

"More often than I'd like, certainly."

Han laughed, "I bet. Where _is_ Luke?"

"Running after Anakin to help with the ships."

"Gods, he's taking this well."

Obi-Wan shrugged, "He's happy here. Dare I ask why you're here?"

Han rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms out in front of himself, "Accident. Something wrong with the hyperdrive."

"I'm sure Anakin would be happy to take a look at it for you."

"I can take care of my own ship, thanks. I've already got it running, and the blasters work. I want to get the shields back online before we go home, though."

Obi-Wan nodded, "That would be wise."

"Dunno about wise, sounds like trying not to get killed to me. Where are the ships we're headed to?"

Obi-Wan turned a corner and gestured to them. Luke and Anakin were trying to pry their R2 units apart from their conversation. They finally succeeded as Obi-Wan and Han neared them.

"Hi, Han," Luke said cheerfully as his droid wheeled around and ran into his legs, as though annoyed, "Hey!"

Anakin laughed, and received the same treatment.

"Not having any trouble with your droids, I hope," Obi-Wan teased.

The R2 units whistled in proud unison.

"Can we get going?" Han asked impatiently, "I'd like to get this over with so I can get some more sleep."

Obi-Wan nodded, "I agree. We should complete our mission in good time."

Anakin vaulted into his ship, and Luke did the same. As Obi-Wan bent his legs to follow them, he noticed Han looking at his own ship with confusion and frustration on his face. For a moment, he was confused himself, then he realized that Han needed staircase brought over so that he could climb into his ship.

He opened his mouth to call for a technician to bring one, but Han shouted suddenly, and he turned to see the smuggler soaring through the air to be gently lowered into the seat of his ship, swearing loudly.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said as dangerously as he could, when trying to hold back laughter.

"It wasn't me!" Anakin protested.

"Of course it wasn't," Obi-Wan said, "It's never you."

"It really wasn't, this time!"

"It was me," Luke volunteered, and when both Obi-Wan and Han turned to glare at him, he held up his hands defensively, "It wasn't _me_ who said we should hurry."

Obi-Wan leapt into his ship, thinking as he did so that Luke might have shared a slim devious streak with his father.

Over the comm in the ship, Anakin's voice was projected through Obi-Wan's cockpit, "Hey, Luke, I'll race you to the separatist ship."

"Okay, see you there!"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and watched as the two ships roared out of the hanger bay.

"Can't I race?" Han called after them, sarcastically, but with poorly veiled disappointment that he had been forgotten.

"I'm never invited either," Obi-Wan said kindly.

"Yeah, but that's different, you hate flying," Han's ship rose off the ground, and Obi-Wan followed him closely.

In the moments it took for Obi-Wan to debate arguing the point, Luke's voice came over the comlink, triumphant, "I win!"

"No, you don't," Anakin answered, mocking Obi-Wan's most soothing tone, "It doesn't count when your opponent's ship gets sabotaged."

"I thought you said you _liked_ flying pods," Luke mocked.

"Fine, you win," Anakin said.

"Don't worry about him," Obi-Wan said, "He's a very sore loser."

"Hey!" Anakin exclaimed, "Oh, and Master? You have some vulture droids on your tail."

"I've got them," Luke said, and Obi-Wan watched as one of the leading ships flipped over itself and soared back towards him, firing.

"Thank you," he said as the colours and shrapnel of the resultant explosions sparkled outside the cockpit.

"No problem," Luke said simply, "I think I've got one too, can you take care of it for me?"

"Certainly," Obi-Wan answered, and removed the threat. Anakin, meanwhile, had been soaring around them, destroying as many ships as he could target.

"Someone cover me," Han's voice said.

"I'll take him," Obi-Wan said, "We should hurry to the chancellor; they may be desperate enough now to simply kill him, and not keep him as a political prisoner."

Anakin swore, "I knew he shouldn't have approved the creation of another ten thousand clones. I'll guard Luke and Han with you, then you go in before me, all right?"

"Alright," Obi-Wan said, and he followed Anakin's lead to choose a defensive position with which to shield Luke and Han's landings in the ship. He then followed them into the hanger bay, and waited for Anakin to follow them. In a cloud of shrapnel from still another vulture droid, he did.

Luke's cockpit opened, and he slid down the hull of his ship, as Han scrambled out of his own, and Obi-Wan gently used the Force to set him on the ground. Anakin's lightsaber poked through the viewscreen of his ship, quickly cutting a circle, and he jumped away from it, rolling to the ground, just as it burst into flames.

Picking himself back up, Anakin looked at the others and explained hastily, "Vulture droid got something in there."

Luke and Han were both deprived of the opportunity to see Anakin's embarrassment, Obi-Wan noticed, as they were both looking around at the ship.

"The Alliance uses these ships," Luke said when he caught the look Obi-Wan was giving him.

"Excellent," Anakin said happily, apparently having already forgotten his burning ship, "You should know where they'd keep prisoners."

"Sure," Han said, "Except these ships don't _have _prison barracks."

Anakin's face fell slightly, and Luke hastily added, "I know where it's most secure on these ships."

Anakin brightened, and Luke took off, racing into the ship.

"He never stands still, does he?"

"Not unless you've chained him like that," Han answered.

Anakin was long gone, eager to finish the mission, and Obi-Wan ran after him, Han following, occasionally yawning grumpily.

By the time Obi-Wan caught up with Anakin and Luke, they'd nearly crossed the ship. He turned a corner to get them back in sight, and watched as Luke suddenly froze in his tracks, causing Anakin to nearly run into him.

Obi-Wan stopped as well, and Han, who had managed, with difficulty, to stay near him all the way, panted, "What's… wrong?"

Obi-Wan relayed the question to Luke, who shrugged with a slight frown and dashed onwards.

Han yawned again, and raced after Luke. Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, who was still looking at the corner Luke had disappeared around with concern. As he realized he was being watched, he shrugged, and followed their friends. Obi-Wan continued as well, and only slowed when the rest of the group came back into sight. Luke had the same confused, worried look on his face, but he was showing his father the door he thought they needed.

Sensing the chancellor beyond the door, Obi-Wan thanked him.

"Anytime," Luke said lightly, his face returning to a slightly less nervous expression, though Obi-Wan could sense the worry still there.

Anakin opened the door, and, sure enough, there sat the chancellor. Still watching Luke's face, Obi-Wan saw another flicker of doubt cross his face, and his concern mounted.

Anakin hurried in, lightsaber in hand, headed straight for the chancellor, as though his only thought for use of the weapon was to free the man. Luke and Han followed more cautiously, and Obi-Wan was careful to look back down the corridor and to each side as he entered the door.

It was fortunate that he did.

"Anakin! Duck!"

His apprentice did so immediately, and the shot flew over his head. In an instant, all three Jedi had their lightsabers out, and Han was holding his blaster. Han quickly took down the droid that had shot at Anakin, and it's falling body revealed a number more droids, which Luke leapt towards, and Han continued firing at.

"Luke!" Obi-Wan called, "Those are commando droids! Be very careful!"

Luke nodded, and folded himself into a ball, rolling between the droids, slicing at their legs. Anakin quickly followed him, and Han managed to shoot down another one. Obi-Wan hurried to the chancellor and cut away the binders on his wrists, deflecting the droid's blasterfire when necessary. He helped the chancellor to his feet, and led him to the door.

"Master!" Anakin yelled from inside the room, "We have company!"

"Sith!" Han added, although Obi-Wan felt he was just using it as a swear.

"Stay here," he told Palpatine, "Take this," he added, summoning a blaster from the ground inside the room.

Palpatine nodded sharply, and Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber once more, ducking back into the room. Dooku had engaged Anakin, and Luke was valiantly searching for a way to join the fray and protect his father. Han was firing shots at the battling duo, most of which Luke ended up deflecting away from them again.

Obi-Wan joined Anakin, trying to make room for Luke to slip in as well, but the Jedi continued to look bewildered, and Obi-Wan wondered why he didn't know how to join. Granted, Dooku was doing everything in his power to keep Luke from doing so, but nonetheless, it should have been simple. Obi-Wan had seen him duel, after all, and he was quite good.

"Go to the hall," Obi-Wan directed Han, and the smuggler was out of the way just before Dooku pulled out of the battle for just long enough to use the Force to bring a large piece of the ceiling crashing down where Han had just been. Where Luke was still standing.

"Luke!" Anakin yelled, and he immediately broke away from the battle, tearing towards the fallen metal.

As the dust cleared, Obi-Wan was glad to see that Luke had crouched, thrown up his arms, and apparently, a Force shield. Everything had fallen in a perfect little circle around him, and he sat in the center of the debris, shaking, but unscathed.

Anakin was at his side in an instant, and Obi-Wan watched as he yanked the boy to his feet, looked him up and down for any tiny scratches or bruises, and returned to Dooku.

"I can tolerate when you do that to my friends, my teachers, but you do not, I repeat, you do _not, _do that to my son!"

If he had done it as a distraction technique, it worked perfectly.

"Son?" Dooku asked, apparently against his better judgement.

Anakin laughed harshly, "Yes, my son, but that's a long story, and somehow, I don't feel like you have. Long. _Left_."

With the last word, he thrust his saber down so suddenly, and so aggressively, that even Dooku, widely acclaimed master swordsmen, wasn't expecting it. The most missed of the Lost Twenty fell, and Anakin cast his corpse one last scathing look before he hurried back to Luke, who he had dropped back to the floor in his eagerness to teach Dooku that last violent lesson.

Luke, for his part, had recovered from the surprise quite well, and was on his feet again, fighting one of the few remaining commando droids. Anakin dispatched it, and Obi-Wan hurried out of the room to see that Palpatine and Han were all right.

Anakin and Luke ran out of the room after him, and Anakin used the Force to slam the door on a number of droids, which had headed out after them. One got through, and Obi-Wan sliced through it as it hurried after Luke.

"Thanks," Luke panted, deactivating his saber.

"Now we have a problem," Obi-Wan said, "We have the chancellor, but we haven't got a way off of this ship."

"The escape pods are that way," Luke volunteered.

"That's good information," Obi-Wan said, "But they don't have steering systems."

Luke nodded pensively, "Maybe we could use the ships we've still got and use the repulsor lifts to keep one pod steady?"

Anakin nodded approvingly, but Obi-Wan shook his head, "Our mission was to get the chancellor back _alive_."

"It can be done safely," Anakin protested.

"No, Anakin."

Anakin sighed, "Should we take the ship?"

"Can we just _check_ if the pods have steering systems?" Han asked.

Palpatine nodded, "I would be glad to get off this ship quickly."

Luke shrugged, "Okay, let's go."

However, Obi-Wan noted that, while the others hurried off, Luke watched Palpatine's receding back with the same expression of consternation.

"Are you all right?" he asked, and Luke jumped.

"Yeah, fine," he said absently, hurrying off after the rest of the group.

_Now what could be troubling him?_ Obi-Wan thought.

"No steering systems," Anakin reported, as Obi-

Wan entered the hanger, "Looks like we won't have much of a choice. I say we use Luke's idea."

Obi-Wan frowned his disapproval and began looking around the group for others who disagreed. To his deep frustration, Han was nodding doubtfully, Anakin seemed quite confident in the idea, and Luke was positively glowing at Anakin's acceptance of his plan.

Desperately, Obi-Wan turned to Palpatine.

"It seems as though your young friend's idea might be our only course of action," Palpatine said gravely, "I have complete trust in Anakin's piloting skills, and the skills of any he trusts."

It seemed it was Anakin's turn to glow for a bit.

"Pride does not become a Jedi," Obi-Wan snapped, annoyed that he had been so unanimously voted down. Usually he could count on at least one Jedi, and most of the clones, to agree with him. It seemed Luke took after his father, "I reserve my right to a ship with steering systems."

"I know how to use gravitational fields," Han said, "Smuggling tricks."

"I'll take a ship as well," Anakin said.

Luke looked around at the others before slowly turning to Palpatine, "That leaves me in the pod with…" he seemed hesitant to continue the sentence, and pointed nervously at the chancellor before murmuring, "Him?"

Obi-Wan smiled, "Sorry, Luke. If I thought it could be done without a major battle, I'd force Anakin to be the one to ride in there."

"I don't think you have the courage to try to tell me I'm not allowed to fly," Anakin laughed.

Obi-Wan shrugged good-naturedly, "He's right, you know."

Luke blinked up at Obi-Wan as though he expected to be offered a different option, and he was tempted to give in, and allow the young Jedi to fly his own ship.

When he realized he wasn't going to be saved from the prospect of uncontrolled falling, Luke turned back to Palpatine again, and Obi-Wan couldn't bring himself to believe it was his imagination that said Luke was more frightened of the politician than the landing.

He couldn't help feeling a little bit sorry for Luke, so he took off his comlink and passed it to the boy, "Let us know if you're feeling uncomfortable."

Luke looked at it doubtfully, "I already am."

Obi-Wan frowned at him and he sighed, "But thank you anyway."

Anakin smiled, "Don't worry, Luke. I'll try not to drop you from too high up."

Luke didn't even blink, but Obi-Wan noticed his gaze drifted back towards Palpatine, "I guess we'd better get this over with."

"Yeah," Han said, and he and Anakin headed off back towards the hanger where they'd landed. Obi-Wan cast one last glance over his shoulder as they turned the corner and saw Palpatine already climbing into the pod, while Luke watched them, clinging to the comlink as though it was his last link to life.


	12. Chapter 12

Luke climbed into the pod after Palpatine, glancing back down the empty corridor one last time. He would have really appreciated being allowed to go with any one of them, rather than endure the trip back to Coruscant in the company of a Sith.

"You must be very powerful in the Force for Anakin to trust you so deeply," Palpatine said without preamble.

Luke busied himself with making sure the pod was airtight. He didn't know how to face the Sith. How much could Palpatine sense? Worse than that, it seemed his father was already close with the monster. How much had Anakin told him? Had he heard Anakin telling Dooku of their relationship? What conclusions would he draw if he had?

_Why didn't I just say I'd curl up behind one of their seats or in a baggage compartment or _something? Luke thought desperately.

"You must be a very powerful Jedi to have gained the trust of both Kenobi and the Chosen One," Palpatine tried again.

"Um, no, not really," Luke said, still focusing on the wall, "I'm still just learning."

"Well, of course you're just learning," Palpatine said jovially, putting an arm around Luke's shoulders, "Not even Anakin was finished his training at your age. Of course, I think you might just be stronger than Anakin."

Luke fought down a shiver, and forced himself to laugh, "Stronger than the Chosen One? I don't think I am."

"Well, you're certainly more humble than he is," Palpatine said.

Luke slipped away from him, "No, really, I'm sure he's very humble."

"Not at all, my young friend, he can be painfully conceited."

_Don't talk about my father like that!_ Luke thought, "Well," he said, trying to crush the thought, "He's got good reason. He's very good at a lot of things and…" the sentence trailed away, and Luke found himself wishing more than ever that there was some way to escape the monster.

"My, but you've learned the Jedi code well."

"No," Luke mumbled, "I'm barely a Jedi yet. I don't even know the code."

"Oh, is that so?" Palpatine asked, and, to Luke's horror, he seemed more interested than ever.

"Yeah, I just started training a few months ago. I won't be any help to you at all. Not even a little bit," he added, not caring how foolish it sounded. He just wanted Palpatine to leave him alone. Being in the same room as the man was bad enough, being alone and without an escape route was far worse.

"Only a few months ago?" Palpatine's voice dripped with badly disguised longing, "Why, you must be the most powerful Jedi since ancient times."

"I'm not!" Luke said, shaking his head frantically, "I'm no one! I'm nothing special!"

Palpatine laughed, and Luke was amazed that no one had ever made the connection between him and Sidious, "You are powerful, young one. Why, I imagine you even know my secret."

Luke forced himself to take a deep breath and look as confused as possible, "Secret?"

Palpatine laughed again, and the laughter was different, lighter, "But of course not. You really are a new Jedi, aren't you?"

Glad that playing innocent had worked so well, Luke nodded, "Yeah."

"I'm sure you'll grow to more of your great potential soon enough," Palpatine said, and the veiled longing for an even stronger apprentice sent shivers up Luke's spine, "I would be happy to watch over you, and perhaps help you along the way."

"How could you help me?" Luke asked, forcing curiosity into his voice, "Are you a Jedi?"

Palpatine laughed again, the one Luke knew was fake, "No, no, I'm a politician. I have no skills where the Force is concerned, in fact, I'm Force blind."

"Oh," Luke said, laughing as awkwardly as he could, "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, my dear boy."

_I want to get out of here!_

"I guess you don't know what it's like," Luke said.

"I must say, you Jedi make it sound like an incredible gift."

"It is very interesting," Luke said. He didn't have any interest in befriending the Sith, which was obviously what Palpatine was aiming for, but he didn't want the man to know the truth either.

"Shy, aren't you?"

"I guess," Luke said. He was willing to take any excuse, any excuse at all, not to speak to Sidious.

"I'm sure you'll learn to be more confident," Palpatine said, "I hope you come to me to speak occasionally."

"Um…" Luke said, casting around for a polite way to turn down the offer, "Won't that be a terrible waste of time for you? You have a galaxy to run, don't you?"

"No," Palpatine said, and Luke was afraid for a moment that he had been mistaken in Palpatine's leadership, "It's never too much trouble to make time for friends."

_Friends,_ Luke thought, _he called me his friend. I don't want to be his friend! I just want out of this pod and back to the Temple!_

"Thanks," he said, "Would it be okay with you if I just mediated for a little bit, please?"

"Feeling a little bit upset after our encounter with a Dark Lord?" Palpatine asked kindly.

Feeling nauseated, Luke nodded, _Sith Lords, plural._

Palpatine only nodded in a twisted parody of fatherliness, and Luke sat down on the floor, closed his eyes, and tried to push away his panic. Palpatine was out of practice. He lived in peace time, and had not made any straight forward attacks in years, perhaps never had. He, on the other hand, was used to fighting, and was fairly good at it, and besides that, had an entire order of Jedi to help him if Palpatine took a step into the open. And besides_ that_, he had a father, who would come running and destroy anything that even tried to hurt him, and that was the most comforting thought in the galaxy to him.

Suddenly, the pod started to bump wildly to and fro, and Luke remembered that they were in uncontrolled free fall. He opened his eyes for just long enough to see the emperor holding onto a bunkhead and looking slightly green, smile at him in what he hoped was a reassuring way, and closed his eyes again.

_At least I know of one fault of his now,_ Luke thought, fighting to hold back a snicker, _He gets motion sick._

He felt himself slide into the wall and opened his eyes again, this time to grab onto something. Grasping it tightly with both hands, he closed his eyes again. As the ship was buffeted back and forth, he gave up on meditation. There were simply too many distractions.

He opened his eyes and amused himself by watching Palpatine clinging to his bunkhead, looking positively miserable.

At last, the ship set down with a bump, and Palpatine, still looking very green, tottered out to meet his rescuers once more.

Luke stayed where he was for a few moments, trying to hide how he'd felt while confined with Palpatine. His father didn't know who the man was, and Luke didn't want to be the one to tell him.

"Kid? Everything okay?" Han asked, poking his head in the door.

Luke smiled, and he was extremely glad to feel a natural smile, not the painfully fake one he'd put on for Palpatine, "Yeah," then he felt the smile fade, "At least in the immediate sense."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Han asked, "You think I haven't had enough cryptic Jedi talk from the master?"

Luke found himself smiling again and thought how lucky he had been to find such a good friend, "Obi-Wan?"

"The man talks in riddles. So, what's eating you?"

"That man, Palpatine, I think he's the Emperor."

Han shrugged, "Makes sense, greedy politician gets the help of Sith and then sort of vanishes behind them."

"Han, you're right about how it makes sense, but… Palpatine _is_ the Sith! He must be the one who turned my father to the Dark Side, because there are only ever two, but… Oh, Han, they're _friends_. He's _friends_ with Anakin, already! He talked like they had been for a while, and I only just met him."

"Calm down, kid, you're getting hysterical."

Luke gulped air, "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just so worried. You understand why, don't you?"

"Sure. You didn't know your dad when you were growing up, so seeing as your mum's pregnant, you think he's bound to turn to the Dark Side soon."

Luke bit his lip. It sounded even worse verbalized like that.

"Hey," Han said kindly, "If he does turn to the Dark Side, based on what happened earlier, I'll bet it'll be to save you."

Luke shook his head, "That doesn't make me feel any better. I'm frightened. I don't want to have to watch him turn into someone like… someone like Vader."

"Then just tell your dad the truth about him."

"But I can't! He's known Palpatine way longer than he's known me! And I've already forced him to accept one unbelievable thing."

"That you're his kid?" Han asked.

"Yeah," Luke mumbled turning away, "That."

"Do you wish you hadn't done it?"

"In a way I do, in a way I don't."

"Straightforward answers, please," Han said, and a touch of annoyance had crept into his voice.

"For me, I'm very glad I did," Luke answered, "It's been great how he's treated me, and it's been everything I ever wanted. But I know I shouldn't feel that way, because from the point of view of the galaxy in general it's far more important that he know the truth about Palpatine. I feel awful about being so selfish…"

"Chin up, kid. I know it's tough to make that decision. But you've gotta get out there, or they'll make you tell them now."

Luke sighed, and nodded. He stood up, and looked to Han for help.

"Palpatine's already been dragged away by the media," Han said exasperatedly.

"Good," Luke said, finding the strength to walk out of the ship.

It seemed to him that Anakin was on the verge of being dragged away as well. Obi-Wan had escaped to somewhere else, and only when Luke cautiously approached Anakin did any attention get directed away from him. Luke thought that it must have been a very small portion of the media that had dragged Palpatine away. There was an awful lot left.

"What was it like?" a reporter demanded, shoving a microphone at Luke, who ducked automatically.

"How would you describe?" another started before being shoved aside by the tide.

As still more microphones were shoved his way, Luke began seriously contemplating ducking back into the pod, and hoping they wouldn't follow him. Of course, probably the only reason they hadn't bothered him when he was in there at first was because they hadn't known he was in it.

"What was it like?" needled another reporter.

"Very bumpy," he answered hastily, trying to slip past her towards his father.

About half of the crowd laughed, and they all pushed towards him with even more force. Luke noticed that Han had slipped away somehow.

As still another reporter asked the same question, he said, as politely as he could, "Excuse me," when the crowd didn't recede at all, he repeated a little bit louder, "Excuse me."

Still more reporters approached, and he gave up. As carefully as he could, he began dodging between the strangers, trying to catch up to his father, who seemed quite accustomed to the attention.

"Wait for me!" he called, biting his tongue as he almost called him father.

Anakin turned and with a gesture told the crowd to part. Luke raced down the small path that had been cleared for him. He pulled up just short of his father and smiled at him, "Thanks."

Anakin laughed, "Camera shy?"

"It's not that-," Luke started, but already his father was wheeling him around to face the crowd, which was now demanding to know who Luke was.

"This is my friend, Luke Solo," he said loudly, and Luke wanted to sink into the ground. He knew Anakin was only teasing him, but people with cameras in his own universe meant a change in where the Alliance had a base.

"Please don't," he muttered.

Immediately, Anakin let him go, looking concerned, "Sorry, Luke."

Luke shook his head, "It's nothing."

Anakin gestured to the reporters again and they parted for him. He took Luke's arm and led him to an air taxi, which opened up for them. Anakin let Luke in first, quickly passing some excuses to nearby paparazzi. Luke slipped over to the seat on the far side and waited until his father was next to him.

"I'm sorry," Anakin said as he closed the doors, "I didn't know it would upset you."

Luke shook his head, "It's nothing. It's just… where I live, if you understand that."

Anakin nodded, but looked perplexed at Luke's word choice. Luke jerked his head at the driver, and Anakin nodded.

"You're going to have to get used to it," he said.

"I know. And I will. That was just a bit… sudden."

"I guess," Anakin said, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't upset me," Luke answered, "We all make mistakes."

He was rattled, though. He had never seen so many people with cameras in his life, and it had scared him. _It was only a few cameras,_ he told himself, _I don't have anything to worry about here. I'm safe._

"I won't do that again," Anakin said gently, concerned, breaking through Luke's thoughts.

Luke smiled, "Really, I'm fine. You're right. I need to get used to that."

Anakin nodded as the taxi slid to a halt in front of Anakin's quarters at the Jedi Temple. Luke watched as his father got out, then slipped out after him. As he moved to step out of Anakin's shadow, though, his father grabbed his arm and held him back.

He waited where Anakin pushed him back to while his father paid the taxi's driver. As the cab drove away, he turned to his father, "What was that about?"

"The Council can't know you're here, Luke."

"But…" Luke paused, "You just introduced me to the entire galaxy."

Anakin stood stalk still and blinked at him for a moment. Then he swore.

Luke laughed, "Maybe they won't think to wonder about that."

"You don't know the council, Luke. This is very bad."

"Come on, you must have friends who aren't Jedi," Luke said.

"A few, I guess."

"Surely they don't keep track of all Jedi's friends."

"No," Anakin said.

"So they'll never notice. Just say that you knew me from somewhere and they'll almost definitely believe you. Say I came and helped out with the rescue. Or," he said, a thought suddenly having occurred to him, "You can say I'm a friend of Mom's. We can say that we were stopping off here for you to have a shower or something, and then you can take me to Mom's apartment."

Anakin nodded, "You're right. They're always breathing down my neck, that's all."

Luke shrugged, "Hey, it could be worse."

"How so?" Anakin asked, raising one eyebrow, "If they found out about your mother, I'd be thrown out of the Order, and she wouldn't fare any better in the Senate."

"True, but at least they haven't."

Anakin smiled, "That's the bright side?"

"Well, it's the first one I thought of, yeah."

Anakin laughed, "Come on. We should get you to your mother if that's our cover story."

Luke nodded, and followed his father as Anakin led him to one of the Temple's speeders. Anakin climbed into the driver's seat and revved the engine as Luke slipped into the passenger's seat.

"How did you meet Mom?" he asked. He had been living with his father for several days, getting on weeks now, and he hadn't had an opportunity to ask the questions he had longed to ask for his whole life.

"She was on her way to Coruscant, trying to bring news to the Senate about the siege on the planet she ruled, Naboo. There was a problem with the hyperdrive and they had to stop on Tatooine. We met in my master's shop."

"Really?" Luke asked, "Just like that?"

"Yeah," Anakin said, "She was one of the first free people I ever met who didn't just hear I was a slave, say it was too bad, and turn away."

"That's an awesome way to meet someone."

"Why would you say that? I was enslaved, I thought I'd never see her again."

"No, that's not what I meant," Luke said, shaking his head, "I meant that she didn't turn away. It must have been a great way to tell something about her."

"Actually, it took her a while to catch on to why I was working in a store at the age of nine, and why Watto had spoken to me so harshly," Anakin said, smiling fondly, "When I finally spelled it out for her, she was shocked. It was incredibly sweet of her, but I was in love with her long before she got the chance to say it."

Luke smiled, "You make such a cute couple."

"Did you just call your own father 'cute'?" Anakin asked, sounding torn between amusement and confusion.

Luke's smile turned into a grin, "Yeah, is there something wrong with that, Father?"

Anakin swatted him playfully.

"It's not like you're never going to call your kids sweet when they're actually born."

"Why should I wait until then if I already have you to tease?"

Luke grinned, glad that his father hadn't slipped as close to the Dark Side as he'd thought. He couldn't imagine Vader teasing someone like that. Knowing he would become Vader, he looked at Anakin again, but Anakin was busy navigating a heavily travelled tunnel, and didn't turn to look at him. He could still sense the darkness in Anakin's heart and soul, but there was so much light as well. He was getting better at dividing them, he noticed. Perhaps when he returned home, as Han would undoubtedly force him to, he would be able to see Vader, merely glimpse him, and try to sense any light still residing within him.

The speeder shot out of the tunnel, and Anakin sent it straight up towards an apartment he recognized as his mother's. As soon as he'd landed the speeder, Anakin began trying to push Luke out, hurrying him towards the doors. As Anakin produced a key from his belt and quickly unlocked the door, he pushed Luke inside.

"Explain whatever you have to, I have to get back to the Temple quickly so I can explain as much as possible. They expect it immediately, and I bet Obi-Wan's making up excuses as we speak. I'll see you soon."

And with that, he closed the door, and Luke heard the lock click. Luke stared around at the dark room, then started fumbling along the wall for a light switch, "Well, Father," he muttered under his breath, "I hope you noticed Mom's not here."

Suddenly, the lights in the room flicked on, "What was that, Luke? And why are you standing in the dark in my bedroom?"


	13. Chapter 13

When Anakin returned to his wife's apartment after making his best attempt to explain the situation to the Council, the only noticeable difference from the truth being omitting Luke and Han's presence, he found Luke sitting in front of Padme, who seemed not angry so much as vaguely disappointed.

"Do you think something's gone wrong?" Obi-Wan asked, getting out of the speeder.

"I hope not," Anakin said, hurrying to the door. He pushed it open as quickly as he could, "What happened?"

Luke spun around, and Padme turned towards him as well, "I thought we said we wouldn't keep secrets from one another."

"What?"

"I didn't mean to tell her," Luke said quickly.

Padme turned to their son for a moment, and her expression softened, "I told you it was a boy," she said, pressing a hand to her womb.

Anakin smiled at her, then stepped forward and hugged her.

"I don't think either one of you has the right to be angry about keeping secrets," Obi-Wan commented wryly.

Anakin released his wife and sat down next to his son, "In keeping our secret you sort of lose the right to say anything yourself."

Padme sat down on Anakin's other side, and Obi-Wan took a chair across from the Skywalkers. Anakin took Padme's hand, glad to finally be able to do so before his master. Obi-Wan smiled and sighed.

Just to annoy him, Anakin kissed his wife, who laughed and shoved him away.

"I should have suspected when you were so desperate to convince me that I was in love with Duchess Satine."

"You are in love with her," Anakin said.

"I'm not," Obi-Wan said exasperatedly.

"You definitely are," Anakin said, turning to Padme, "Isn't he?"

"Don't pull me into this," Padme smiled, "You can be vicious once you start arguing like this."

Luke snorted, "I'll say. You're worse than my sister."

The room fell silent, but Anakin didn't notice. His eyes had leapt to Padme's belly, and her hands had ended up there too. He reached into the Force and tried to sense the baby's presence.

"Sister?" he heard Obi-Wan ask distantly.

Anakin could only sense blurry, tired, presence in his wife, and he tried instead to sense where the baby's limbs and head were. Sure enough, he sensed two little heads, and too many limbs for a single child, though he'd given up counting when he'd reached two heads.

He pulled his presence back, glancing at his son, who was looking across the room in glazed horror, then turning back to his wife.

"Twins," he said, patting Padme's belly.

She took his hand and squeezed it very tightly, "Two children."

Obi-Wan just shook his head.

"I was already having enough trouble believing I'm going to be the father of one child," Anakin said, still feeling stunned.

"Leia," Luke mumbled, "I forgot her entirely," he seemed very shaken, "What if she's not alive when I get back?"

"Luke," Anakin said, waving a hand before his son's face. Luke turned and focussed his eyes, "Luke, I'm sure she can take care of herself," he said, hoping he was right.

Luke bit his lip, "Yeah," he said.

"You said you have good friends who will be caring for her," Anakin soothed.

Luke nodded, but he still seemed worried.

As Anakin sat and looked at his son, trying to decide how best to comfort him, the doorbell rang, and Padme quickly moved to answer it, hiding her swollen belly as she stood.

"Han," she said, and stepped aside, returning to the sofa to lean on Anakin tiredly.

Han entered and began to come over to his friend before seeming to notice how Luke was feeling.

"Kid? What's wrong?" he stood in front of Luke, who had started to cry. As the tears slipped down his cheeks, Han sat down next to him and hugged him one-armed, "What is it?"

"I forgot her," Luke said, furiously wiping at the tears, frustrated with himself, "I completely forgot about my sister."

"Sister?" Han asked, with every ounce as much confusion as the others had found.

Luke gaped at him, "You don't even know yet. What kind of brother _am_ I? It's Leia. She's my twin sister."

"Oh," Han said, looking at Luke in amazement, "Well. I'm sure she's just fine."

"Yeah, I'm sure she is. I just- I feel funny about having forgotten her."

"How long have you known? Please tell me it's since she kissed you," he said.

Luke laughed weakly, "Yeah. I only found out just before our hyperdrives malfunctioned."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

"Well, if it's any consolation, we can go back to see how she's doing effective now. I've got the hyperdrive working again."

"I'm still not sure if I want to go back permanently."

Anakin suddenly realized how used to having Luke present he had become. The boy had become one of his best friends, an easy tie to sanity, so quickly. He didn't want the boy to leave, he realized. _It's Luke's destiny. I shouldn't try to affect him_. But Luke had turned to Anakin, asking for his opinion.

Anakin sighed, "It's your future," he said, "But why don't you want to go back?" He swallowed quickly, "It's where your family and friends are. Where you belong."

"No!" Luke exclaimed suddenly, and extremely passionately, "It's _not_ where I belong! And my family is right here!"

"What I meant is that you were born and raised there. It's your reality. In about twenty years it'll be my reality as well. We'll see each other again, I promise." He carefully omitted the fact that Padme would never see their grown son again.

"It's not your reality," Luke retorted desperately, "It can't be. This _must _have changed something!"

Anakin noticed he was shaking, turning white, although he was unsure if it was anger or fear that was causing it, "What's wrong?"

Luke had twisted himself away from Han, "I mean that you can't be destined to be Vader! You just _can't_ be."

Anakin's galaxy was falling apart again, the foundations of everything he believed being shaken again, "_I_ killed your teachers?"

Anakin wanted Luke to deny it, to say that he had meant to say something else, but the boy only clenched his hands into fists and said, "You killed Obi-Wan. You destroyed the entire galaxy."

Anakin brushed Han, who was trying to hug Luke again, away and hugged his son tightly, wanting not to believe him, "I turned to the Dark Side?" he asked.

Luke shook, "Yes. You did. Palpatine. He turned you."

Palpatine?"

"Yes," Luke said seriously, "And you must have been terribly wounded, because Vader wears a life support suit constantly. You killed the entire Jedi Order, and," Luke's arms tightened around Anakin's neck, "I think it was you who killed Mom."

"And _I_ cut off your hand," Anakin said, stunned, "I didn't know, did I?"

"You did!" Luke said shrilly, "You're the one who told me how we're related."

Finally, Anakin couldn't take it anymore. He let go of his son, carefully depositing him in Han's arms. He stood, and walked into Padme's bedroom in a daze. It couldn't have been him who had mistreated Luke so terribly. He couldn't be the reason Luke had been so scarred that Anakin had easily believed that he was a slave who'd had a cruel master. And surely _Palpatine_, the one person who he could trust with everything, even his marriage to Padme, couldn't have been the one to turn him. Surely not.

_But you would trust him if he told you it was the only way to save Padme from her mysterious death. _

Anakin sat down hard on Padme's bed, burying his face in his hands. More than anything, he _couldn't_ have been the one who'd killed Padme. He simply couldn't have been. He loved her. She meant everything to him.

"Anakin?"

Anakin forced himself to look up, "Angel."

She came to him and sat beside him, putting her arms around him.

"He has nightmares about me, Padme. Our son has _nightmares_ about what I've done to him. What am I going to become? What am I already?"

She didn't answer, merely holding him more tightly.

"I killed the tuscan raiders who killed my mother. I killed them and took pleasure in it. I've told myself it's an isolated event, and that it doesn't mean anything, but if Luke says I'm going to turn to the Dark Side, it must be more than that."

"Anakin, Luke wouldn't have told you all this if he didn't believe that you'd been changed by our encounter in some way."

"Father?"

Anakin turned away, sure he didn't deserve to set eyes on his son.

"Luke, this isn't a good time," Padme said gently, and Anakin heard Luke's footsteps retreating.

"No," he heard his voice say, and found himself on his feet, "This _is_ a good time. This is the only good time. I have to kill Palpatine, and you have to come with me. To keep me on track."

Luke turned back to him, and he saw tears in the boy's eyes, "I didn't come back to ask that of you," he said, "I just wanted to apologize for breaking down like that."

"I know. But you're going home soon, aren't you?"

"I need to know that Leia's all right."

"And you can't leave me to deal with Palpatine alone. You know I won't be able to. You need to come with me and take care of it right now."

Luke nodded, "Yes. I'll come with you."


	14. Chapter 14

Luke was having a hard time keeping up with his father. Anakin was speed walking too, which wasn't helping at _all_. Luke didn't want to complain, though. He could sense his father was teetering and didn't want to set him off.

"Father," he said at last.

Anakin turned to him, and realized how far behind he was. Luke hurried to catch up as Anakin slowed down.

"I'm sorry, Luke. It's all so sudden," the scared, sad look on Anakin's face broke Luke's heart, and he wanted nothing more in the galaxy than to reach out and put his arms around the older man. He shook off the urge.

"It's okay," he promised, "I just don't want you to be upset."

Anakin smiled weakly, "You're a good son."

Luke felt himself glow slightly, and Anakin seemed a bit cheered by his reaction, "At the moment, I'm only trying to be a good friend."

Anakin smiled again, "You're doing a good job of it."

"I'm glad you think so," Luke said, "I feel so powerless to help you."

Anakin shrugged, "You are."

He sighed, and looked down at his boots, and his father put an arm around his shoulders.

"It doesn't matter. I'm glad you're trying."

"Do or do not," Luke started before his father cut him off.

"There is no try. I know."

Luke sighed again and closed his eyes. He sincerely wished he hadn't blurted everything out like that, but it had hurt so deeply to realize that he'd forgotten his blood relation in his own galaxy. He missed Leia terribly, and had missed her all the while, but in his joy at finding a new family with his parents, he had forgotten that they were related.

Anakin released him, and they walked along, side by side, each lost in his own thoughts. As they climbed into a speeder, Anakin turned to Luke.

"It's a very short way to Palpatine's office. He'll still be there, finishing his work for the day. There are some things I need to ask of you."

Luke nodded, "Please, ask away."

Anakin's hand had reached the gear shift, and Luke watched as his eyes drifted down to it, then closed, "I don't want to ask this," he said softly, "But I don't know what's going to happen when we reach Palpatine. I want you to promise me that no matter how drastically this may go wrong, you'll remember that I love you. And if you make it away from this, even if I don't, you'll tell Leia that I love her too."

"I –," Luke faltered, "Of course I will. But you're coming back! You have to!"

"I hope you're right. The reason I ask is because…" Anakin turned away from Luke altogether and looked up towards the sky, "I hope that I'll be strong enough to survive this, but if I have to choose between death and the Dark Side," he turned back to Luke, "You're going to have to help me choose death."

Luke opened his mouth to try to speak, but only a faint spluttering noise came out. He forced himself to draw breath and managed, "I'm not sure I _can_."

Anakin turned back to him and smiled sadly, "I don't want to ask this. But you have to understand, this might be the only way to prevent what's happened to your galaxy."

Luke thought of his own galaxy, the oppression, the cruelty, but he kept just looking back at his father. Of course he didn't want this galaxy destroyed as his had been, but how could he kill Anakin? How could he kill his own father? He felt himself start to cry, thinking of Obi-Wan's words on Dagobah. He couldn't let the Emperor win. That was all important. But through his tears he saw Anakin's worried face, and he wanted to just crawl into his arms and be safe forever. He wanted to turn away from the galaxy's troubles and hide. He forced himself to nod, "Of course. I-I'll do what a Jedi should do. I promise."

He rubbed his eyes, and looked up at Anakin again. His father had also been crying, he noticed, and he felt another sniffle break through as his father hugged him tightly.

As Anakin released him, Luke struggled again to rub the tears from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Luke," Anakin said.

Luke shook his head. He didn't want his father going into their battle already emotionally stirred up.

"It's all right. I know that we have to do this. I love you too, Father."

He saw tears still running down his father's face as he turned the keys in the ignition. He took his lightsaber off his belt and started turning it over and over in his hands, thinking of how he had lost his father's back at Cloud City.

"Luke," Anakin said suddenly.

Luke looked up quickly, and saw his father looking at his 'saber, "Yeah?"

"It's a Jedi tradition to trade lightsabers to show how deeply you trust someone," Luke watched Anakin take his familiar lightsaber off his belt and offer it to him.

"Really?" he asked, and touched the hilt carefully, remembering every inch of the lightsaber from the many times he had held it and looked at it, memorizing it and trying to read from it something about it's creator.

Anakin pressed it into his hand, "Please take it."

Luke took it, returning his own, "I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will," Anakin said, holding Luke's up to examine it, "This one looked similar enough that I assumed you'd used mine before."

Luke smiled, "I did. For three years, before Cloud City."

"Then I'm sure you can hold onto it for me for one more day."

"Uh-huh," Luke said, looking at the lightsaber, running his hands over the familiar contours.

Anakin stopped the speeder, and Luke climbed out. He waited for Anakin to debark as well, and followed him into the building. He gripped his father's lightsaber very tightly, staring around at the finery. As Anakin keyed the door to open it, Luke slipped behind him, and heard Palpatine's greeting.

"Anakin, it's been a while since I last saw you. And you've brought your friend."

Luke had forgotten that Palpatine could sense him. He stepped away from his father, unsure of what to do next.

"Luke's told me what you are," Anakin said coldly.

"As I foresaw. He is stronger in the Force than even I expected," Palpatine raised a hand, and a red lightsaber blade slashed through one of the statues. He caught it deftly.

Luke shivered.

His father ignited his green lightsaber, "He is."

"You've told me of your nightmares of Padme. I'm the only person alive who can help you. If you kill me, or allow the Padawan to kill me, my knowledge will be gone from the galaxy forever. Your wife will die."

Luke saw his father waver for a moment.

"Father, it's not true. The Dark Side can only be used for _hatred_."

"Your _son_?" Palpatine asked, mildly curious.

"My son," Anakin confirmed, "He's told me what I'll become if I listen to you. You won't help me save Padme."

Luke was beginning to feel uncomfortable with all the others holding lit weapons, so he lit his own.

"You're wrong. I have the knowledge you need."

"Luke has told me that you'll have me kill Obi-Wan."

"He's holding you back."

"He's not," Luke interjected sharply, "I'm sure he's doing his best."

"Of course he is," Anakin said.

"You deserve more than his best, if the best he can do won't even gain you the title of Master."

"I don't need that title. I'm a husband, and a father, and that's all I need."

Palpatine snorted, "I know you want more than that. And if Padme dies, you won't be a father. When she dies, you know you won't be able to control yourself, and you will lose your station as a Jedi."

"Mom won't die," Luke said, "You'll take good care of her. I know you will."

To Luke's horror, Anakin turned to him with fear in his face, "Luke," he said, his voice cracking weakly, "What if I can't?"

"You can!"

"There is nothing that could be done for her without my knowledge," Palpatine said, and Luke felt terror deeper than any he had ever known as his father looked still more doubtful.

"I need your mother," Anakin said, and his voice sounded tortured.

"She'll be fine!" Luke promised frantically.

"She will die!" Palpatine said, with just as much passion.

Anakin's face hardened suddenly, and Luke felt himself go rigid, "I'm sorry, Luke. I can't do this without her."

"What?" Luke whimpered. He'd thought, hoped, his father could be stronger than this.

"Kill the boy," Palpatine said, "No one must know that you've turned."

Luke stumbled backwards, away from his father.

"I'm sorry, Luke," Anakin said again, "But you'll be born again in a few months. I'll raise you properly this time," he raised Luke's lightsaber and began to come towards him.

Terrified, Luke raised his father's blue blade; although he could see that it was wavering in his shaking hands.

"Don't do this," he begged, "Please. We said that this would be okay. We said we could do this."

"That's not what I said, Luke," Anakin said darkly.

"I can't kill you. Please don't make me do this!"

"I'm sorry," Anakin said again, and Luke prayed it wasn't his imagination that a tear had run down his father's cheek.

Before he could try to respond, his father rushed at him. As their blades met, he felt the tears on his own face. It was everything he'd longed to avoid, fighting Anakin like this. They had sparred a couple of times, just for the practice, and the fun of it, but this was unlike that in every possible way. His father was employing a far more vicious strategy, and considering the way his hands were shaking, he wasn't sure how long he could hold out.

He tried to breathe deeply, and to imagine Vader's mask over Anakin's face, allowing himself the one level of separation he'd grown used to when dueling for his life. Every time he managed to close the black mask, though, another tear would slip through, and the image would be shattered.

Anakin was backing him around the room, towards Palpatine, and his lightsaber, and Luke found himself apprehensively trying to watch both blades. Just as he had never fought beside another, he'd never been forced to face two opponents at once.

He closed his eyes for a split second, trying to calm himself down. He tried to reverse the action of their battle and force Anakin away from Palpatine, but his father had considerably more practice than he did, and he found himself even less able to deal with the attacks than he had been at Cloud City. His father was forcing him back, closer and closer to Palpatine, but Luke saw with relief that the Sith had deactivated his lightsaber.

_I'm a test. _Luke thought, brokenly, _I'm a test of my father's willingness to obey. Why couldn't I be a bit more than that, for once?_

His father had pushed him up against Palpatine, and Luke was afraid that any moment, Palpatine would reactivate his lightsaber and cleave him in half.

Anakin's onslaught hadn't lightened at all, and Luke had no space to move. His father took a particularly vicious swing at his neck, and he ducked. As Palpatine's body fell, headless, his father deactivated his lightsaber, and kicked the head away from the body, as though afraid it would reattach itself.

Confused, Luke kept his father's 'saber activated, waiting for the onslaught to continue.

"You can relax," Anakin said, tossing Luke's lightsaber back to him.

Luke caught it, and deactivated Anakin's, "What was that?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," Anakin said, "I knew when we set out that we might not be able to best him together. I've seen your attempts at fighting with a partner, and they're very weak. I thought it would work better to beat him at his own game. I never intended to hurt you."

"You staged it?" Luke asked, incredulous, "That whole thing? Turning to the Dark Side?"

"Luke, you've told me a lot about Vader, from what you've said, and from what you haven't. I thought I could act my own Dark Side well enough, but from watching your acting, I knew that you couldn't act his helpless victim if you knew you were in no danger."

"You lied to me?" Luke asked, still stunned.

"I'm sorry."

"I –," Luke said, "I –," he wanted to shout at his father for frightening him. He really wanted to be absolutely furious, but what came out next was, "I'm so glad!"

Anakin smiled apologetically, and came to hug him. Luke wrapped his arms tightly around his father in return, and he felt Anakin smile again.

"You can forgive me then?"

"Yeah. Just tell me you won't do that again."

"I won't," Anakin said, releasing Luke, and waving a hand at Palpatine's headless corpse, "I don't think I'll need to."

It was as though an icicle had been stabbed into Luke's chest. Realizing that his father had been on his side the whole time had made him think that Anakin would be by his side forever, in fighting the Emperor in his own galaxy, and Vader. He'd forgotten that he would be leaving him behind to go back to his own galaxy. And now, he couldn't justify his longing to stay behind in a way that would make sense from a Jedi point of view.

He looked up at his father, and forced himself to smile, "Yeah. You take good care of Mom, alright?"

Anakin frowned at him, "You're going to leave so soon? Won't you at least stay for dinner?"

"I don't think I can," he answered, "I'm worried about my sister, and I've finished what I think the Force sent me here to do."

Anakin looked disappointed at his words, but nodded, "I understand. Take good care of yourself and your sister. I'll fly you to where we've been keeping Solo's ship."

"O-okay," Luke said, following his father back out to the speeder. As he sat down in the passenger's seat, he wasn't nearly as ecstatic as he should have been, and he knew it. He'd hoped his father would try to keep him home. He thought for a moment of his mother again. She hadn't even had time to accept that they were kin before he and Anakin had run off to face the Dark Lord. He wished she'd hugged him, thinking of her son, just once. He sighed. He should have been thrilled. He'd thwarted the man who had destroyed his life, and kept the life of his alternate self from taking the same track as his own. But he looked over at the man in the driver's seat, and wondered how long it would take for him to associate the name Luke Skywalker with his unborn baby, instead of Luke.


	15. Chapter 15

Obi-Wan turned as Anakin and Luke came into the hanger. He didn't know where they'd run off to, but he was sure he would know soon enough. Both seemed to be in emotional states, although each seemed unaware of the other's. He wondered what wedge could have been cast into their usually open communication.

"Master," Anakin greeted him quickly.

"Where have you been?"

"Long story," Luke said, "Is Han here?"

"He's up in the cockpit looking over the instruments again."

"Thanks," Luke said, hurrying away, and Obi-Wan had a strange feeling it was to get away from Anakin.

"What happened?"

Anakin shifted uncomfortably, "Like Luke said, it's a long story."

"I'd like to hear that story, please," he said calmly.

Just as Anakin was skirting the question again, his comlink beeped. Gratefully, he reached for it as Obi-Wan looked on.

"Yes?"

Mace Windu's voice crackled over the link, "General Skywalker. Palpatine is dead."

"Yeah?" Anakin asked, sounding less than surprised.

"The marks on his body indicate the use of a lightsaber."

"Oh," Anakin said, then, as though trying to cover up for himself, "Do you think it was Sidious?"

"We found a red lightsaber."

"Oh, well then, it must have been," Anakin said casually.

"He was _holding_ it, Anakin."

"Well, then, that clears that up."

"What are you talking about, General Skywalker?"

"Palpatine is the Sith."

"That is amongst the wildest suspicions you've ever shared with me. There will be a full investigation."

"Okay," Anakin said, "Then we can know for sure."

Obi-Wan stared at him as he turned off his comlink and looked up, "Why do I feel as though his death was not Skywalker free?"

"Well," Anakin started just as Luke came back down the landing ramp.

"Father? Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan turned to the young Jedi, "Yes, Luke?"

"We're going to leave now. Han brought my things for me. I thought I should come and say goodbye," he said, but he stood awkwardly at the bottom of the ramp. Anakin wasn't making a move towards him either. _What happened? _Thought Obi-Wan, _They've been so close I've worried about us being discovered. Why would Luke suddenly withdraw now?_

Finally, Luke walked over and held out a hand, as though he was going to leave his father with only a handshake. As Anakin tentatively reached for his hand, however, Luke changed his mind and held out his arms for a hug, which Anakin obliged, hugging him tightly before setting him down to go see Obi-Wan.

"Your friend and I have talked about this," Obi-Wan said as Luke erred, apparently unsure whether he should hug him or shake his hand, "He thinks that it would be better if we came to help you."

Relief washed over Luke's face as he decided that Obi-Wan deserved a hug. Obi-Wan released him, and he asked, "Really?"

"Yes, certainly. He told us that you haven't been able to complete your training, and that you have no teachers left. He believes it will be possible to return us to our own time."

Luke seemed so glad, and he turned back to his father, "Will you come, Father?"

Anakin laughed, "Would I miss an opportunity to see my daughter?"

Luke smiled, and Obi-Wan saw the mysterious barrier slide away. So that was what it had been, Luke hadn't wanted to think about leaving his father behind. Something still seemed to remain, but most of the wall simply slipped away.

Obi-Wan led his friends up onto the ship, where Luke eagerly began to give Anakin a tour, which he accepted. Obi-Wan found his way to the cockpit, "We're ready to go," he told Han.

"Great," the smuggler answered. Obi-Wan strapped himself in as the ship began to rise.

"Any idea where Anakin and the kid were?"

"I think it may have had to do with Palpatine."

"Yeah, that'd make sense," Han said, "You think they managed to kill him?"

"From the sound of it, someone with a lightsaber did."

"Good," said Han, "That'll make it that much harder for the Sith to come back."

"Yes," Obi-Wan said, "It certainly will."

"Where are they now?"

"Luke's giving Anakin a tour."

Han snorted, "Of course. You ready for hyperspace?"

Obi-Wan nodded, and braced himself. Han threw the lever, and the ship pitched forward, sending Luke nearly flying into the dashboard, and he would have, if Anakin hadn't caught him from behind as he entered the cockpit. Obi-Wan turned to see Anakin set his son on his feet again, and Luke slipped into the seat behind the pilot, looking embarrassed.

Anakin laughed, and took the other seat.

"I wonder what Leia's been up to while we've been gone," Luke said.

"Probably fighting the Empire?" Han answered sarcastically.

"I'm looking forward to meeting this sister of yours," Obi-Wan said, "Do you think she takes after Anakin or Padme?"

"Uh," Luke said, "A little bit of both, I think."

"Speaking of Padme," Anakin said, "Does she know where we are?"

"No," Obi-Wan said, "I thought you would have told her."

"We have to go back!" Anakin exclaimed.

"Don't think we can do that," said Han, "I say you just give her a good apology when you get back."

Anakin stirred uncomfortably, "I'd like to let her know we're all right."

"I agree with Han, there's no saying how many times this can be done."

Anakin nodded.

:"I'm sure Mom won't worry too much. You probably do this to her all the time."

"I do," Anakin conceded, "But she worries."

"Of course she does," Luke answered soothingly, "But she'll understand you had to do this. You know she will."

Anakin nodded, "I guess. What's your sister like?"

Luke paused, uncertainly, "Intense? Passionate? Strong, definitely. She's beautiful," which amused Han more than made sense to Obi-Wan, "She also might not be too enthusiastic about this arrangement."

"What do you mean?"

"The one where you come to the future with us. She's… had her own run in with Vader. And she doesn't really know we're related yet. So we're in about the same position as you were when we came here. I don't know how to explain this to her."

"You'll work it out."

"Yeah."

The ship bucked, and Obi-Wan saw Luke grab onto his seat, and realized that he hadn't done up his crash webbing. As space rematerialized, Obi-Wan felt as though he was buried deep, a dark crushing pressure weighing on him. Behind him, Anakin gasped himself. Obi-Wan forced himself to shake off the feeling, but when he turned to check on Anakin, he saw that his apprentice was not having as easy a time dealing with it. He was shaking from head to toe, and he'd buried his face in his hands. Luke seemed only slightly shaken by the switch in darkness, but he was kneeling beside his father, trying to see past his hands to his face.

"Are you all right?" Luke asked, taking his father's left arm and dragging it away from his face.

Obi-Wan looked at his student, who seemed slightly calmed by his son's worried face, "I didn't know the galaxy could be this dark," he said softly.

Luke didn't seem to know how to respond to that, so he stood up and hugged his father tightly.

"Where are we?" Obi-Wan asked.

"If I figured out how to use this thing properly, we should be back in our time, approximately, and near Dantooine, where we can find some information about where our current base is."

Luke released his father, who seemed almost calmed.

Han brought their ship closer to a nearby planet, landing at an old destroyed building.

"We use some hints in the ruble here to denote where our new base is. The Empire's already investigated here, so we think it's safe enough, especially because of the code we use. It's incredibly complicated," Luke explained.

"I still can't always get it," Han said, "But Luke's very good with it."

Luke blushed, "I just have a good memory for codes like that."

Anakin stood up, "We should go find this clue of yours then," he said, with an air as though he was just moving to keep himself from panicking.

Obi-Wan stood as well, and Luke led them out of the ship. He led them down to the rubble piles, and through a maze of passages, until they reached what seemed like a central command center of some kind, badly crushed in one corner. Luke hurried over and quickly dug in the pile until he revealed a couple of slips of durasheet, one of which was covered in code, the other a simple note in Basic. Luke turned his attention immediately to the coded letter.

"Have either of you got a bit of durasheet?" he asked.

They shook their heads, and Luke found an area covered in undisturbed dust. Obi-Wan noticed Anakin take the note. Luke sat down in the dust and started mumbling something about the code, writing in the dust with one finger. Obi-Wan watched in fascination as Luke decoded the message, a single name, of a planet, from the entire page of scribbles.

"Geonosis," Luke said, half proudly, half confused, "I've never heard of it."

"I have," Obi-Wan said, "I nearly died there."

"Oh," Luke said cautiously, "Well, I'm glad you know where to find it."

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin curious how he would react. After all, he and Padme had also nearly died there.

Anakin was too preoccupied by the note. Luke followed Obi-Wan's gaze, and looked at his father curiously, "What does it say?"

"Luke and Han," Anakin read from the page, "If it's you reading this, I'd like to tell you that you would be better off running away instead of coming back here. I've been going crazy not knowing where you are. Come back soon. Leia."

Luke laughed, "Oh, that's nice of her. I wonder how long we've been gone for. Come on, let's go tell Han."

He took the coded slip of paper over to the rubble pile and buried it again, then came back and kicked dust back over where he'd decoded the note.

Anakin passed him Leia's note, and he stuffed it into a pocket, leading them on out of the broken building, and back into the _Falcon_, and passed him the note. Han read it, and laughed as well.

"Guess we'd better get back quick. Where're we headed?"

"Geonosis," Obi-Wan said.

Han nodded, "All right."

"Won't the Geonosians be a problem?" Anakin asked.

"The Empire enslaved them," Han said, "Their cities were abandoned."

Anakin seemed to be struggling to decide between thinking they'd deserved it, and his usual quarrel with slavery.

Obi-Wan sat down, and the ship started. Han took it up out of the atmosphere.

"What do we need to do in order to destroy the Empire?" Anakin asked.

Luke blinked at him, "Well, we need to kill Palpatine."

"Again," Anakin answered.

"Yeah. We need to deal with Vader somehow. And… we need to get the Alliance into a position of leadership."

"All in a day's work," Anakin joked.

Han put the ship into hyperspace, and Obi-Wan waited patiently for them to revert to realspace. Luke and Anakin had also fallen silent, and Obi-Wan sensed that reality was just setting in for them.

At last, they came out of hyperspace, near the familiar grey brown form of Geonosis.

"Home One, hailing unidentified ship," a voice crackled over the com.

Luke leaned closer to the dash, "Hi, this is the _Millennium Falcon_."

"Hello, Luke," the voice answered, sounding slightly exasperated at his lack of professionalism, "You're cleared to land at platform 934."

"Thanks!"

Han flew down towards the city. And Obi-Wan watched as he landed in the arena, which had, thankfully, been cleared of it's posts and beasts, and most importantly, battle droids. In fact, the stadium was completely empty, save for a girl who seemed to be about Luke's age, and a very familiar looking wookiee.

"Look, Father, there's Leia!" Luke said excitedly.

Han landed the ship, and Han and Anakin followed them. Obi-Wan watched as Han ran to greet Leia, and Luke was snatched into a bear hug at the last moment by Chewbacca. He fought to control his laughter as Leia hugged Han very tightly, then pulled away from him, looked at him for a moment, and punched him, apparently with every ounce of strength she possessed. Han staggered away, and Luke held his arms out to her, seeming willing to take the accompanying punch. Leia hugged him as well, though she refrained from punching him, despite the fury that was making her arms shake.

Anakin started walking cautiously towards her as she started in on her friends, and Obi-Wan followed him.

"Where have you been?" she asked Han, who was still rubbing his eye, where she had punched.

"We –," Han started, but she cut him off.

"Why didn't you _tell_ us where you were going?"

"We –," Han tried again.

"Did you notice that you've been gone for a _month?_ I save you from Jabba, and _this_ is the thanks I get?"

"Technically," Luke started before he too was cut off.

"I should ground you both this instant!"

"You wouldn't dare," Han said, finally managing to get a word in edgewise.

"You think I wouldn't?" she demanded, whipping out a datapad, "Just _watch me._"

"You don't need to do that," Obi-Wan said in his most soothing voice, "What happened to them isn't their fault."

"And who, exactly, are _you_?" Leia snarled.

Although he'd tried to hide it with his first retort, Obi-Wan decided there was no point in hiding the truth from her. He held out his hand, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Anakin Skywalker."

She stared at him, then her gaze moved to Anakin, then back again. _Well, _he thought,_ at least she's quiet now._

"You're?" Leia asked, looking at him, "And he's?" her gaze finally traveled to Luke, "You mean to tell me that…"

Luke smiled, "Yeah."

"What _happened _to you? Did you get lost in the time stream?"

"Pretty much," Luke said

Leia stood and blinked at him a little longer. Then she said, "What was it? One of Han's modifications?"

"I'm not too sure," Luke said, shrugging.

Leia sighed, then hugged each of them again, "I'm glad you're back safe," she said softly. Then she returned to business, "Come on, we haven't got rooms set up for any of you."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, looking incredulously amused, "That's my daughter?" he asked, as soon as Leia had hurried ahead of them down the hall.

"She takes after you."

At the look on Anakin's face, Luke started to laugh, and Obi-Wan joined him. Han was trying to keep up with Leia, who was moving quite quickly in her fury.

"Welcome to my world," Luke said at last, "She's usually not quite this tightly wound."

"Good," said Anakin, still apparently struggling with the comment that that behaviour was reminiscent of his own.

As they walked, they encountered people of many species, most of whom Luke greeted by name. By the time they finally caught up with Leia and Han, the others had almost completed arranging one room, which they claimed had recently been empty, with two cots and a dresser.

"We'll set up the second," Luke volunteered.

Leia nodded absently, fighting with a bottom sheet and the mattress on one of the beds.

Luke led them next door, and showed them where to find the tidily stored beds and sheets, setting about making one of them up.

"Leia's room is just down the hall," he said as Anakin dragged out the disassembled dresser and began to put it together.

"How do you know?" Obi-Wan asked, setting about making the other bed with the Force, something that it had not occurred to Luke to do.

"She always is. That's why we're each going to be sharing rooms, she made sure that two rooms were kept empty for me and Han. But she wasn't expecting you, and I guess she thought it'd be best if we stayed together."

"She might be right."

"Maybe," Luke said, catching on and trying to make the bed with the Force before admitting that he didn't have the fine control necessary and returning to trying manually.

"Move aside," Obi-Wan offered, finishing with the bed for Luke.

"Thanks. We can go get you some uniforms now, unless you packed some of your clothes onto the _Falcon_ while Father and I were… you know."

Obi-Wan smiled, "I did pack some. Let's go retrieve it, shall we?"

As they entered the corridor, Leia grabbed Luke by his collar, spinning him around. He turned to watch.

"Next time you and Han get lost in the time stream, find _some way_ to tell me. Do you understand?" she asked dangerously.

Luke laughed, "Of course I will."

Then Leia turned to Obi-Wan and Anakin, "And as for _you_, the Alliance has some questions for you."


	16. Chapter 16

Darth Vader awoke with a start. He had sensed, once again, the familiar presence of his son. _Luke!_ He thought. He had sensed, only about a month before, his son's light suddenly torn away from himself. He had been confused, after all, unless the Alliance wanted to incapacitate one of their best hopes for success, they wouldn't have been stupid enough to affect Luke's Force sensitivity. At the time of the incident, he had frozen in his place at the viewport, closed his eyes, and used every ounce of strength to cling to the boy's fading presence. He had failed.

_He's back now,_ he told himself, _he's here, and he's alive._ For the first time he could remember, he felt genuinely glad for someone other than himself. He reached out in the Force to feel his son's mind. Luke seemed healthy and happy. Vader took a deep, calming breath. Luke was alive and healthy. That was all that mattered.

But it wasn't. Not really. He had heard Luke's mind cry out in alarm just before the boy had been snatched. There had been a shot of terrible despair which had left Vader stunned out of meditation, but still sitting stalk still, and then, a few minutes later, there had been a strange, confused happiness, which had moved Vader to action, to the bridge, where he'd been when Luke vanished.

_Luke?_ he asked the boy's mind.

He was surprised to feel his son's senses opened to himself, and he heard the boy swear and the child's range of vision narrowed down as he reached up to grasp his head in his hands, as though he had a splitting headache. Then the moment of reality as his son was over, and he was standing back on the bridge.

_What was that about?_ He wondered, reaching out to feel Luke's mind again, without letting him know of his presence. He couldn't sense anything that would cause a headache.

_Luke, are you all right?_ he asked concernedly.

It was as though there was a sudden burst of static over from his helmet's audio receptors, but he could sense it was Luke. Vader felt a knot of worry form in his stomach. Luke had much better control over his abilities than to be suddenly giving out bursts of static!

_Luke!_

Luke gave him another burst of static, and it's meaning was clear, even if any words had been hidden. Luke needed to be wholly in his own body, not conversing mentally with someone all the way across the galaxy.

Vader resorted to sending his son a prickle of his worry, but Luke didn't answer it.

Vader swept away from the bridge. He needed to think, and he wanted to have his full consciousness available for his son when the boy was ready to speak with him. He was certain that there had been something wrong with Luke's reaction. Had his presence been hurting the boy? Had Luke developed some sort of sensitivity to his Force touch? He didn't think that could be the case, though, because Luke was streaming his emotions to his father freely, and apparently on purpose, and waiting for Vader to return the deed.

Vader let his son into his own emotions, and felt the boy's emotions leap.

It couldn't have been his presence, then. He clung to his son's presence as he continued to think, and allowed all of his son's feelings to slide through himself. What could have been wrong with the scene? Luke had doubled over at Vader's touch, but he had glimpsed the room. He'd seen the boy's princess asking desperately if he was all right, the Artoo unit beeping concern, the smuggler getting ready to catch him if he fell, all perfectly ordinary.

_I saw more than that,_ he thought, but he tried to ignore the thought. He couldn't _possibly_ have seen what he'd thought he saw. Anakin, a man who should still have been locked in the Clone Wars, had also been asking in alarm if Luke was alright.

_No, _Vader told himself,_ that's ridiculous. How could he possibly be here?_

He carefully loosened his grip on his son's presence and tried to remember what his own presence would have felt like all that time ago. His love for Padme, his frustration with the council, his impatience. Trying to form the presence from memory, he tried to reach out to touch it. And there it was, shifting nervously, skirting even his probe, which he had thought impossible to feel. With reckless abandon, Vader shoved his way into Anakin's mind. As he had expected, feelings for Padme, at the council, and Obi-Wan occupied Anakin's mind, but none as loudly as his concern for Luke.

_No! _Vader thought, _No! You can't have him! Leave my son alone!_ He violently threw Anakin's consciousness away from himself, clinging all the tighter to Luke. He felt the boy's emotions become of alarm, even fear, but he didn't let go. Luke was all he still had, the only person in the galaxy who had managed to look at Darth Vader, mass murderer, scourge of the galaxy, and feel love.

Luke's concern only seemed to be mounting, and Vader felt a terrible jealousness. That consternation was for Anakin, a man who already had everything Vader wanted.

_Luke, leave him. He's an imposter!_ Vader lied. But, of course, it wasn't really a lie. There was no possible way that Anakin could have been there from another time entirely. There was simply no way. Someone was trying to get into Luke's life to hurt him. It was the only logical answer.

Luke gave such a shot of anger at Vader that he was startled. Luke didn't just feel emotions like that; he had listened to his training well. Could he really have hurt Anakin that much? Reaching out in the Force, he realized that he very well could have.

_Luke,_ he sent, but Luke's answer was just a loud, frustrated static burst.

Just as Vader was about to call out to Luke again, demand his immediate proper response, an officer entered.

"Lord Vader," the man said, "The Emperor requests your immediate contact."

Vader spun to glare at the man. It was not a good time to interrupt him. Despite his best effort to be brave, the man shrank back.

Vader marched past him, towards his communications center. He hastily knelt on the transmitter, and turned on the device.

"You summoned me?" he asked, trying to be polite.

"Indeed, Lord Vader. I have sensed a disturbance in the Force," Palpatine said in his usual, painfully exaggerated rasp.

"I have felt it as well," Vader said, wishing his master would get to the point. _It's been trying to yell at me for the last five minutes_.

"I believe that we may have more Jedi in the galaxy than we previously suspected," Palpatine warned, just as Luke finally chose to answer Vader in full.

_Father, how could you? I think you really hurt him! Obi-Wan said we need to get him a stim shot right away, or else he might fall into a coma!_

_Shut up, Luke,_ Vader snapped quickly, _I'll deal with you when I'm ready._

"I believe your suspicion is correct," Vader answered.

_Father! You can't just ignore me!_

"We must tread carefully."

_I'm not ignoring you! As I accepted that it was a bad time for you early, do the same for me!_

"Yes, Master."

_You didn't accept it! You started trying to kill,_ Luke's words faltered,_ To kill father!_

The words had had their desired effect, and Vader found himself crushing the inner workings of the communications system. He hoped, absently, that his master had said everything he'd needed to say.

_Luke Skywalker,_ Vader told his son reproachfully, _I'm your father._

_Well he's been doing a better job of it so far! _Luke's mind shouted.

Vader grabbed his son's consciousness the way he frequently grabbed men's necks in order to snap them, _Luke. You. Are. My. Son. He's nothing but a shadow of my past self. I don't know how you managed to bring him here, but he doesn't belong here. I don't know if it had anything to do with your disappearance for the last month, the course of which I've spent searching for you everywhere. Now you need to let go of your illusion of Anakin's presence and come to me. I'm your father, and it's with me that you belong!_

_I don't!_ Luke answered furiously,_ I belong here, with people who actually care for my wellbeing and that of each other!_

_I care for you! Do you honestly believe I have no reason to search for you besides wanting to train you? If you come to me willingly, I will allow your closest friends to live, I'll give you everything you've ever wanted!_

_No! That's a lie! No matter what I do, whether I come willingly or not, you'll always long to kill those I love! Now leave me alone, with my family!_

Vader longed to fight against the words, to continue to cling to Luke, but he had felt that those words had not been calculated to harm, they had been Luke's true feelings, spoken without due thought.

_I'll find him_, Vader vowed to himself, _I'll find him if I have to kill every imperial, rebel, and civilian in the galaxy. I'll find him, and bring him home, and protect him from his own delusions._

Sensing that Luke would never forgive him if he tried to contact him again too soon, Vader invited himself into Anakin's stunned mind, which did indeed seem liable to flicker out if Luke didn't manage to get him some stim soon.

Vader ignored and pushed aside Anakin's emotions of worry and fear at Luke's earlier migraine, still unaware of what had happened to himself. _Where are you?_ Vader demanded of the stunned, slowly functioning brain, which answered him before it seemed to be aware of what it was doing.

_Geonosis._

Vader smiled darkly and pulled back, away from Anakin. He had a base to visit.


	17. Chapter 17

"Leia? Do you have the stim? I've been doing everything I can think of to wake him, but it's just not working!"

Leia tossed Luke the needle, "Make sure you get a vein. Your hands are shaking so much I wouldn't trust you to put that thing in me."

Luke nodded hastily, and Leia sat down beside him, taking his free hand, "He's going to be all right, you know. He's stronger than you're giving him credit for. I'm sure he's been through worse."

Luke seemed concentrated on trying to steady his hands, finally passing the needle to Leia, "I don't trust myself. Please do it for me."

Leia took the needle and steadied it against Anakin's arm. She still didn't know what was happening, where exactly Luke and Han had been off too, how they got there, or how they got back. Luke had made an attempt at explaining it, but it had been such a stacked, crumpled mess that Leia had disregarded it for the time being. After all, it had seemed as though he was half way through trying to say that they were _siblings_ when Anakin had collapsed.

Hopefully someone more coherent would be willing to enlighten her. She injected Anakin, and he stirred.

"Father?" Luke asked desperately, and Leia couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Luke seemed to have attached himself to Anakin more tightly than she'd ever seen him become attached to anyone before.

Anakin blinked, "Luke?"

Luke nodded eagerly, and Leia found herself smiling. The notion that Anakin might have been Luke's father was ridiculous, but they did resemble each other somewhat.

Anakin tried to sit up, but Leia pushed him back down, "You're not strong enough yet. You collapsed."

Anakin tried again to sit up, "Let me go."

"No," she said, _They share a stubborn streak and an unwillingness to let themselves heal as well,_ "You need rest."

Anakin pushed her aside, "You don't understand. This is very bad. Where's Obi-Wan?"

"Obi-Wan's gone to get more stim in case you need it," she answered as calmly as she could.

Beside her, Luke shifted skittishly, "What's very bad?"

"Vader," Anakin answered, "He invaded my mind. He knows where we are. We need to go."

"You're in no state to travel," Leia reprimanded, "I'm sure it was just a nightmare."

"It wasn't," Anakin insisted, sitting up once more. She chose not to push him back down.

"Leia, I wouldn't doubt him. If Vader knows we're here, we really do need to go. I wouldn't want to bet the Alliance on a hope that it was a bad dream. We should start packing up."

Leia sighed, "Luke, we just managed to get this base set up. I'd rather not pack up the entire Alliance on a feeling that might have been a dream."

"You always seem to trust _my_ feelings!"

_And we've been in trouble over that more times than I care to count._

"Princess," Anakin said, trying to stand, "I need to see Obi-Wan."

"He'll be back soon," Leia answered.

"I'll go get him," Luke said, and Leia watched as he raced off down the corridor.

"Why does he trust you so deeply?" she asked Anakin curiously.

"We've grown used to trusting one another."

"Does he really believe that you're related?" Leia asked, securing Anakin as he tried again to stand.

"He does. We haven't had time to prove anything but I believe him," Anakin said leaning back on the wall, as though tired.

"Why did you come here? Wouldn't you want to stay home with Luke's mother?"

"She's your mother as well," Anakin said, and Leia found herself suddenly out of control of the conversation.

"I'm sorry, _my_ mother?"

"Padme Amidala," Anakin answered, "Yours and Luke's mother. Of course I would have liked to stay , but Luke seemed like he could use some help taking care of Vader. I'll be going home shortly after we've finished."

Leia nodded, "I'm sure he'll appreciate your help. However, do you think you'd be able to take him back with you? Luke has lost people he's projected on before, and I think he would be happier with you. Once the Sith have been taken care of, his position in the Alliance that makes him indispensable will be somewhat nullified."

She hated the idea of losing Luke so shortly after she'd thought she'd lost Han, but she knew better than to try to hold onto him if he would be both safer, and happier, in Anakin's galaxy.

Anakin frowned, and Leia imagined that he was wondering how the Alliance would be able to manage without Jedi, "I'm not sure. I'll ask Obi-Wan and Han on his behalf."

Leia sat down beside him, feeling strange. She would miss Luke a great deal if he were to leave. After all, Luke and Han had been her closest friends for several years, and she was certain that Luke's optimism wouldn't be easily replaceable.

"So I didn't hear wrong when Luke said we're siblings?" she asked at last, struggling to fill the gap in the conversation.

"No," Anakin said, "He's told me that Yoda himself told him that. Unfortunately, Master Yoda has since died."

"Yoda didn't die in the Purges?"

"It seems not. I'm still not entirely certain that I know what the Purges are."

"Vader went on a killing spree and destroyed the Jedi Order," Leia answered quickly. She was surprised to see Anakin's face darken, covered by a shadow of doubt.

"Vader again?"

"Almost anything unthinkable that's happened in our galaxy has been done by Vader," Leia said, and she felt a lump rise in her throat as she thought of her home planet.

Anakin seemed equally troubled, and they sat in silence for several minutes.

Finally, Anakin spoke, "Did he kill Yoda as well?"

Leia shrugged, "I don't know."

Anakin had caught sight of her face, "He did something terrible to you as well, didn't he?"

Leia swiped aside a tear, "He did," she said, forcing her voice to be stronger, "He destroyed my planet. He has, since then, amputated Luke's hand and frozen Han in carbonite."

Anakin looked away from her again, and she wondered if the guilty look on his face was her imagination.

"I don't know where Luke's got himself to," she said at last, "But it's taken him far too long to return. Are you ready to stand?"

Anakin nodded grimly, and Leia took his hand and helped him to his feet.

"Leia, Vader's close," Anakin said.

"I hope you're wrong about that," she answered, "The medical bay is this way. Obi-Wan carried you back here."

Anakin blushed and she couldn't help smiling.

"Alright," he said, and she watched as he started out the door.

She followed him quickly, and they were just leaving the sleeping quarters when the sirens began to blare.

"So you were right," Leia said in horror.

Sarcastically, Anakin answered, "Oh, ye of little faith. What do we do now?"

"Try to make it to a ship, and hope he doesn't find us."

"What about Luke?"

Leia started to run down the corridor, and she heard Anakin's footfalls behind her, "All we can do is hope we run into him on the way. You need to get on a ship right away, we can't be sure that you're stabilized."

"I'm fine," Anakin protested, but his case was weakened by the way he stumbled a moment later.

"You're not fine," Leia argued, "Look at yourself, you're pale as a ghost, you're sweating, and it's not even that warm," she finished, just as she turned a corner, and found herself staring into Vader's mask, a shiver already tearing down her spine.

"And that's why," Anakin said, though any humour the words might have had had been drained by the sight of the evil monolith.


	18. Chapter 18

Vader glared at Anakin, who was standing beside the young princess of the rebellion. Both were panting, each seeming at least slightly panicked.

"Where is Luke?" he demanded.

"You haven't found him?" Leia asked in relief.

Vader glared at her with all the power he could muster short of choking her, "Where is my _son_?"

He watched curiously as Leia turned to look at Anakin who had closed his eyes and was breathing deeply, then back at Vader. His curiosity was short lived.

"Where is my son?"

Anakin opened his eyes, reaching for his lightsaber, "I'll kill you for what you've done to him," he snarled, his obvious attempt at calming himself having failed.

Vader reached for his own lightsaber, watching as the familiar blue beam was emitted from the grip of Anakin's. He could sense Luke somewhere nearby, and he didn't believe that the rebels had no idea where. Anakin's blade came at him as he started trying to find the boy properly, and he raised his own beam to deflect it. He pushed Anakin back a couple of steps just as he locked onto Luke's presence, moving towards them quickly.

Anakin had come back at him, all the same brash confidence he had always had. The rebel princess had started on her way back down the corridor, and Vader noticed that she was unarmed. A stupid move that: leaving one's weapons behind while the base was raided. Vader smiled. She would make a perfect weak link. He shoved Anakin back with enough force than the other man, still weakened by Vader's forays into his mind, stumbled.

Vader pushed past him impatiently and grabbed the rebel princess. She struggled fiercely, but Vader held her fast, deactivating his lightsaber and pressing the emission plate against her neck.

"I'll ask you one more time, where is my son?"

The princess was not even slightly deterred from her struggling, and she kicked him repeatedly, but the attempt was useless.

Anakin, however, had struggled to his feet, "Put down my daughter!"

Vader looked down at the princess just as she gave an almighty twist and slipped down to the ground again. She ducked past Anakin, who had raised his saber. As she turned back to Vader, she glared at him, and he could see, for a moment, his wife in the girl's eyes.

"My daughter?" he asked, still confused, as he started towards her.

Anakin's blade swung up to block his path, and Vader looked at him with all the annoyance of one tormented by a fly, "Let me pass," he said, "How could I have two children?"

"Twins," Anakin answered, swinging at Vader, who was forced to take a step back and ignite his own.

Vader was surprised, however, to be bested almost immediately, Anakin seeming to have been strengthened by Vader's threats to Leia. Before he knew what was happening, he was pressed against a wall. He used the Force to hit Anakin hard in the chest, and the Jedi soared across the corridor. He walked over to his winded past self and snatched the saber out of his hands. Igniting it, he held the blade to Anakin's throat.

"Don't hurt him!" shouted Luke's voice suddenly.

Vader looked over to him, and ceased to pay attention to Anakin, who took advantage of the moment and kicked Vader's arm hard enough that the prosthetic hand released the blue lightsaber, which Anakin grabbed and pointed at Vader.

"Father," Luke said, "Don't hurt him."

Anakin lowered the lightsaber, though Vader could see nervousness in his face. He turned away from the Jedi and moved towards Luke, who held his ground.

"What are you doing here?" Luke asked.

"I've come to take you home," Vader answered, then, remembering he had a daughter, "And your sister as well."

Leia spat something furious from behind him.

"Father, we _are_ home. This is where we belong. You know that I'd rather be at home with you, but unless you decide to turn against the Empire, it's my duty to continue to work against you."

Luke had never before said to Vader than he wanted to come home, to Vader's memory. He had violently denied their bond, and had thrown himself down a shaft before being willing to be caught. He had made nothing clearer than that he hated the Sith, and hated Vader for what he had done.

"I know that Anakin is still in there somewhere," Luke said, drawing himself up to his full height, which was almost laughably unimpressive, "And I'd be happy to call wherever he is 'home'. But I'm a Jedi, and I can't be at home with a Sith Lord."

"Anakin is not a part of me," Vader answered, "In case you hadn't noticed, he's standing behind me. Luke, are you going to let Jedi," the word came out scathing, more so than Vader had meant it to, "Dictate your life?"

"I would long before I would let the Sith."

Vader sighed, and deactivated his lightsaber, clipping it to his belt, "I know it's not ideal. But if you'll just help me kill Palpatine, I won't train you."

Luke crossed his arms, "Maybe not, but you'll train another in a line of heartless murderers."

"Is that what you think of me?" Vader asked, hurt, but not surprised.

"It's what I think of the path you've chosen to take. Can you deny that you've already killed on your way into this base? Weren't you trying to kill Anakin when I found you?"

That point was un-arguable, "The point is, you wouldn't have to be one of them."

"The point is, I would have helped."

"Let me rephrase," Vader said, "We will kill the Emperor together. Then each of us will return to where we belong, and we will continue as though we never worked together. I won't try to capture you, and you won't try to kill me during our truce, but everything returns to the usual when we end it."

Luke seemed to be considering that offer, and Vader felt his hopes soar. If Luke helped him kill the Emperor, there would be nothing in the galaxy to keep him from spending every moment searching for Luke, and he would no longer be forced to hesitate, worrying about what his master might do to the young Jedi.

"Alright," Luke said slowly, "What do you have planned?"

"Simple," Vader answered, "I turn you in, but I'll return your lightsaber to you at the last moment."

Luke raised his eyebrows, "He'll fall for that?"

"I believe that he'll try to force us to fight to the death, which would be seriously impeded if you didn't have a weapon."

"I guess," Luke said, a smile playing around his lips, "Would there be any way to bring Anakin?"

Vader scowled at his younger self. He would have like to leave Anakin where he was, but he cheered himself with the thought that he hadn't promised anything about not trying to kill him. And besides that, Anakin would risk his own life for Luke's in a heartbeat, and throw himself in front of any attacks the Emperor might have had ready for them.

"If we must, I'm certain that the Emperor would be happy to have a copy of myself in noticeably better condition. However, if Palpatine manages to turn him, be warned that he will be very violent at first."

"At first?" Luke asked mockingly, and Vader decided to let the topic drop. He had meant that a newly turned Anakin might attack Luke instead of defend him, as he himself had attacked Padme, but Luke still seemed amused by his choice of words.

"Now, if you'll only come quietly, we can finish quickly and terminate this weak truce," he said, and Luke nodded, holding his lightsaber out to his father. As Vader took it, he felt a thrill of emotion. Luke was his son, happily bonding with another parent, eager to finish their charade as allies, and return to the alliance. He tried to distract himself by looking down at his son's lightsaber, clearly built by the boy himself, dents already marking it in several places, as well as a large smear of grease down one side of it. Obi-Wan would have fainted, he thought, if he had seen it.

The moment of happiness was pushed aside as Anakin passed him the other lightsaber.

"Now wait one second," the princess finally said, "You think that there's even a chance that giving yourself up to Vader is a good idea?" she asked incredulously.

Luke smiled and hugged her, "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

As he released her, and turned back to their father, Vader smiled again to see the girl's jaw drop as she stared at them.

"It's this way back to my ship," he told them.


	19. Chapter 19

Anakin sat down beside Luke, who had taken the seat behind the pilot, Vader. Vader had a crew for the ship, he had told Anakin, but that he had dismissed them to a Star Destroyer so that he could speak to Luke privately on their way home. Anakin had heard the anger in his voice, and sensed betrayal. He felt a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. Luke smiled at him reassuringly, and he assumed that the boy had thought the expression struggling to break loose was one of horror.

Vader gave a responding furious prickle, and Anakin grinned back at the young Jedi, amused at Vader's annoyance.

"Father?" Luke asked.

"Yeah?" Anakin asked.

"Yes?" Vader asked, making an obvious attempt to drown out Anakin's voice, but failing.

Luke looked slightly ashamed, "I mean him," he said, indicating Vader.

Anakin shrugged, but he felt Vader's sense of accomplishment. He felt a little bit sorry for the man, considering he could place such happiness in a few words from Luke.

"Anakin would tell you," Luke said haltingly, "That I'm not very good at fighting when I have allies on my side who are wielding lightsabers."

"No kidding," Anakin joked, poking Luke in the ribs with his deactivated lightsaber. He had meant it as nothing more intense than making light of their difficult situation, but Vader had immediately given a protective spike of emotion. Had he read it as Anakin actually trying to hurt Luke? He couldn't have, but he must have.

"What are you trying to convey?" Vader asked Luke.

"I was just wondering if there's a secret to it," Luke said innocently, "Any way that I won't get in your way."

"I'm afraid I'm not aware of a secret," Vader said.

Anakin frowned at the back of his helmet, "Yeah, there is."

Vader prickled angrily again.

"Oh, good," Luke said, sounding relieved, "What is it?"

"Which one of us do you know better?" Anakin asked, watching as Luke's gaze shifted uneasily between them.

"I don't know," the young man answered at last, "I'm kind of used to teaching myself to fight the reverse of how Vader does, and you were going easy on me when we were training."

"What is Vader's style?" Anakin asked. When Vader had attacked him, demanding to know where Luke was, he hadn't been able to judge which form he was using. He had assumed that it was simply his worry about Luke that had made him seem so haphazard.

Luke shrugged, "I don't really know the forms," he admitted, "I read up on them when I was staying at the Temple, but I never really understood how to tell them apart."

"I was forced to create my own, when Obi-Wan's attack left me crippled," Vader snarled.

"Obi-Wan?" Luke asked, "Obi-Wan did this to you?" And Anakin thought that he could sense a sliver of indignation in Luke's voice. Vader seemed to have sensed it too, because Anakin could have sworn the man's heart had lightened hundredfold.

"Yes," Vader answered, "He nearly killed me."

Luke bit his lip, and both Anakin and Vader smiled at the concern in his face, "I – I'm sorry."

For the first time, Vader's helmet rotated to look at his son. Anakin was keeping close watch on his counterpart's feelings, and he felt something strange deep in his heart at the gratitude in Vader's voice as he looked into Luke's eyes and said, "Thank you."

Suddenly, Anakin understood Vader's choice to consider their conversation with Luke as a contest. It was easy to want that admiration and caring for oneself alone. Anakin pushed his own longing for it away, reminding himself that he would soon return to his own galaxy, without Luke, and that he shouldn't get in the way of Vader bonding with him. After all, he could sense every moment spent with Luke speeding the healing of Vader's soul, emotional scars fading, and he imagined that he could sense the other's consciousness lightening.

"Father?" Luke asked again.

This time, Anakin didn't bother to answer, knowing that Luke was addressing Vader, who merely nodded.

"Would you consider coming back to the Alliance with me when we've finished?"

Anakin felt Vader's hesitance to refuse the offer, and felt himself growing hopeful for Luke. He knew that there could be no happier ending for Luke than if father and children were reunited before Anakin and Obi-Wan returned home.

"No, Luke," Vader said gently.

"Why not?" Luke demanded, "Why won't you come home? You don't honestly enjoy being a monster, do you?"

"Of course not, Luke, do not be foolish. It is merely that I would not be permitted to stay with you. They would not trust me. They have no reason to."

Luke sighed disappointedly, "You're sure?"

"Quite sure," Vader said, and Anakin watched in silent amazement as one black glove found Luke's hand and squeezed it tightly, "I'm sorry."

Luke smiled back at him, "I know. It's only that I can't keep myself from wishing."

Vader nodded.

Anakin looked back and forth between them. He couldn't see that Vader was especially lost in the Dark Side, considering how easily he offered Luke kindness. Maybe, just maybe, Vader could be turned back to the Jedi, to live his life with his son, and take the guilt and remorse as his punishment.

Luke turned back to Anakin, "That secret you were talking about earlier. What was it?"

"Only to stand back to back with the person who's fighting style you know best, and who you trust the most. If you truly know them, you'll know where their lightsaber will be before it gets there. It's more helpful for fighting enemies en masse, though."

"Oh," Luke said, and his gaze started drifting between the others again, "I'm not sure I know either one of you well enough for that."

Anakin shrugged, "He wants you. For us, this is a matter of simple protection. If he gets close enough to harm you, we'll already be behind him. You're very good at fighting by yourself. We'll try to stay out of your way."

Luke smiled, reassured, "Alright."

For several minutes, they sat in silence. Anakin found himself gazing at Vader's helmet again, wondering what went on behind it. He could easily sense pain, unhappiness, even the beginnings of guilt. For what was Vader sorry? Was it his treatment of Luke, the way he worked throughout the galaxy? He didn't think so. He had sensed the prickles of jealousy had been for more than one reason. Vader missed Padme. If Anakin was right, he missed her a great deal, and was very jealous of the fact that Anakin still had his wife.

"Thank you," Luke said suddenly, pulling Anakin away from his thoughts, "Both of you. For caring for me, and protecting me. Father, when I was in Anakin's time, I faced another opponent, Grievous, and he nearly killed me. I've thought that you were being unnecessarily rough when you amputated my arm at Cloud City, but I know now that you were being as careful as you could."

"I was not careful enough," Vader returned.

"I didn't exactly manage that battle without hurting you either. How's your shoulder healing?" Luke asked.

"It's healing well. That was a very good attack."

Luke laughed, "It was a mistake. I was panicking."

"It was a good panic, then."

Before Anakin, the sky rearranged itself into stars, and he spotted Coruscant. He found himself immediately looking for the spires of the Jedi Temple, and was startled, and slightly pleased, when Vader took them down to it. Seeing the condition of his home, Anakin felt a terrible pain. The once pristine columns and rooftops were pitted and scarred by blasterfire, and he could sense the last moments of hundreds, maybe thousands, of Jedi's lives. He tried, and failed to hold down a shiver. Glancing over at Luke, he saw horror in his friend's face. He had thought that Luke would be able to take this with the same calm with which he had accepted the return to his galaxy. Seeing the fear, he hugged Luke tightly before pulling him to his feet and leading him to the doors, where Vader stopped him.

"Palpatine has taken up residence in the council chamber," Vader started.

"Sidious is living _here_?" Anakin demanded, a great feeling of violation creeping through him.

"Yes. I thought you should know that he has some… rather macabre decorations. Try to hold yourself together."

"I'll try," Anakin answered testily.

Beside him, Luke nodded, mute. Anakin gave him a gentle squeeze, and released him. Vader pushed past him, and led the way down the ramp and through the familiar halls of Anakin's home. Anakin gazed around in agony, and he could feel Luke shaking beside him. As was to be expected of any battlefield, the ground was littered with corpses, rotted away to skeletons now. The only difference here was that some effort had obviously been used to preserve them, some standing in glass cases, all still dressed in Jedi robes and holding lightsabers. Anakin was forced to hold back his gag reflex as they passed Jedi he knew in passing, who had been made into taxidermy in the same way as game on some primitive planet.

Luke had hurried ahead to walk very close to Vader, who's sheer familiarity with the gruesome display made Anakin feel a little bit less revolted by it. They had prevented this from happening in his own galaxy, he told himself, Palpatine was dead. All the Jedi were safe. The Sith had vanished from the galaxy. He forced himself to focus on Luke and Vader, each beacons of light in the pitch black of the remains of the temple, and smiled as one of Luke's trembling hands slipped into Vader's glove for protection. As he watched Vader's hand tighten protectively on Luke's however, there was a horrible crack from under one of his feet, and as he leapt aside, he saw what it was. He had accidentally shattered the skeletal hand of a Jedi youngling.

As though the hollow of the bone had been containing it, a horrible feeling of terror swept over Anakin, and he suddenly knew the child. He saw the girl's life, her friends, her usual life, and then the last moments of her life, himself cutting her down. He spun away, and finally couldn't control the nausea anymore. When his stomach was empty, he found Luke crouching beside him, Vader standing over both of them.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked, looking terrified, but obviously not having sensed what Anakin had seen.

Anakin forced himself to nod, "I'll be all right." He pulled himself to his feet, "I'd like to get this over with."

Luke nodded fervently, and Vader continued to lead them onwards. Now, though, Luke stayed with Anakin, and tried to take the horror out of their surroundings by telling Anakin stories. Anakin listened as hard as he could, glad of Luke's presence. He allowed himself only consciousness enough to see where he was stepping, not wanting a repeat of his previous experience. At long last, they reached the doors to the council chamber, and Luke stopped in the middle of telling Anakin how Obi-Wan had saved him from a krayt dragon in the Jundland Wastes.

Vader turned back to them, "Are you prepared?"

Anakin nodded, and he sensed Luke also communicating assent.

Vader walked back to them, binders held out.

"Hey!" Anakin protested, "You didn't say anything about this!" he started to squirm away.

Vader grabbed him by the front of his robes, "I'm not going to sell you into slavery. This is an _act_. Calm down. Palpatine will never let us near him if I don't cuff you. You know how to remove binders with the Force. You need to trust me."

In a fit of terror, anger, and frustration at his own reaction Anakin answered, "I don't trust you in the slightest!"

"Be that as it may," Vader answered, moving to Luke, who obediently held out his hands to be cuffed, "You will have to cooperate."

"It'll be okay," Luke promised, showing Anakin his own cuffed hands, "Look, I could almost slide my hands right out of them without any help," he said, folding his hand so that the cuff nearly slid off.

Anakin grabbed the binders from Vader's hands and clipped them on himself, still embarrassed by his initial reaction, and how Vader had answered it. He had long expected people not to understand his fear of confinement, to merely let it go as another oddity of Anakin Skywalker. However, he could feel himself already squirming uncomfortably against the cool metal.

"I've lived with this for twenty years," Vader said, "Surely you can bear it for a few moments."

Anakin forced his hands to be still, and nodded stiffly. He would have been worried about their conversation so close to the emperor, had he not remembered how soundproof the circular room was.

Vader opened the door with the Force, and there in the center of the old room sat Palpatine, further horrific taxidermy of the Jedi council sitting in the surrounding chairs, save Yoda's, Obi-Wan's, and Anakin's.

Vader bowed to the Emperor, and the dark man sneered. Anakin could sense his friend standing up straight, unshaken by Palpatine. He followed suit, glad that his hands weren't trembling any longer.

"Lord Vader," Palpatine greeted, "And not one, but two young Skywalkers. How is this possible?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Anakin spat.

Palpatine laughed darkly, "Quite possibly. You've met your future, I see."

"It's not my future any longer," Anakin answered defiantly.

"Oh, isn't it? Padme may be long dead, but as long as Luke lives, you have a weakness. A very fragile weakness," he added, and Anakin watched Luke torn from his side, and carried over to the remains of Mace Windu, who seemed misshapen, very scarred, and a bit burned. Luke gave a yelp of surprise, and struggled to get away.

"Luke Skywalker, meet Mace Windu of the Jedi council," Palpatine laughed, and Anakin couldn't shake the feeling that it was all a grand game to him. Mace's dead eyes turned to Luke, slightly unfocused, and one of his hands moved, as though asking for a handshake, and Anakin realized that it wasn't attached to his body.

Luke was shaking by now, fighting against Palpatine's Force grip with all he had. Anakin glanced at his terrified friend, then back to Palpatine, leaping towards the man, and managing to plant a foot against his head, landing unsteadily, still bound. Palpatine took a moment to recover, which Luke used to dash away from Windu, whose hand had fallen to the ground.

Then Palpatine spoke again, and all humour was gone, "Not you, then."

Suddenly, Anakin was in his grip, too tight to escape, and he was pushed against what remained of Plo Koon. He forced himself not to shudder.

"Stop!" Luke cried, "Stop it!"

Anakin was dropped, and he stood once again. Luke had slipped his binders, which lay, still locked, on the floor behind him, and he'd snatched a lightsaber from Vader's belt, apparently at random, considering that its blade was red. He was racing at Palpatine, anger and fear clouding his judgement more obviously that Anakin had thought possible. Anakin quickly used the Force to unlock his own binders, and took his own lightsaber from Vader's belt and arrived just in time to save Luke from his own hurried actions. Behind him, he heard Vader ignite Luke's lightsaber.

Palpatine looked noticeably disturbed when Vader started moving towards him as well, "Leave Luke alive," he hissed, as though believing he could order Vader to kill his past self. Anakin tried to put his lightsaber through the emperor, expecting Palpatine to counter with his red blade. He was met instead with the agony of Force lightning. He was thrown back into one of the windows, which gave an ominous groan. He scrambled away from it as quickly as he could. Luke was the next to receive a bolt of the blue energy, and he flew after Anakin, who hurriedly picked him back up.

"Are you all right?" Anakin asked quickly.

Luke nodded, and turned to try again. Anakin began to follow him and saw that Vader was making a valiant attempt to get to Palpatine with Luke's lightsaber, dodging madly through the hail of lightning. Anakin was perplexed by how hard he was trying to avoid it, and suddenly Luke explained.

"Father! Get away from him! If he hits you, the life support," Luke started, before Palpatine caught him with a stray jolt of lightning, which had lost enough of its power that Luke simply crumpled to the floor. Anakin quickly grabbed him and rested his twitching body behind one of the chairs.

"You'll be all right," Anakin promised, "Breathe deeply."

Luke nodded weakly, still gasping for breath, and Anakin stepped out from behind the chair. He watched helplessly as Palpatine temporarily gave up on Force lightning in favour of a means of getting Vader into an easier firing range. As Sidious threw dark power at his apprentice, throwing him across the room, all Anakin could do was catch him and rest him, as carefully as possible, on his feet.

_Get around behind him_, Vader's voice in Anakin's mind said, _I'll distract him, and you go for the kill._

Anakin nodded, and ran around the perimeter of the room, racing up to Palpatine's back just as Vader made a mistake in his constant evasion of the lightning, and it caught him. The adrenaline boiling through Anakin's veins spurred him to stab through Palpatine, but then Vader fell, and he realized what the Sith had done.

_He gave himself up for us. For me, and Luke._

He hurried to the man's side, yanking out the panel of the chest plate, looking in at the partly fried wires inside. Vader shook his head slowly, "It's no use," he said, "Where's Luke?"

"It must be!" Anakin answered, "I'm good at fixing things," he said, hearing the childishness in his voice. He hadn't realized that Vader could care so deeply as to give himself for another, and he wanted Vader rewarded, not punished, for his bravery.

"Where's Luke?" Vader asked again.

"I'm here," Luke said, and Anakin saw in his peripheral vision that Luke had stood from behind the chair and was coming to them. While Anakin continued to work feverishly with Vader's chest panel, yanking wires out of his prosthetic when necessary, Luke sat down beside his father, deathly calm, and took one of his hands, squeezing it tightly.

Vader's helmet had turned up to his son, apparently unaware that Anakin was still trying to save him.

"My son," he said softly, and Anakin saw through panic sharpened vision, that the title had made Luke smile sadly.

"I'm here, Father."

"You're so brave," Vader said, and Anakin felt a thrill of horror as he realized that father and son both saw what was happening as a goodbye. He rolled Vader onto his side to access the backpack he knew was worn under his cape. As Vader started gasping for breath, Anakin used the Force to keep his lungs working without the help of the support systems.

"Not really," Luke said, "Only desperate."

"I'm going to have to ask you to be brave again," Vader said.

Luke nodded, "What do you need?"

"Help me take my mask off. I'd like to see you, just once, before I die."

"You're not dying!" Anakin protested, putting some more wires together, "I've nearly finished saving you."

"I can't do that, Father," Luke said gently, not repeating Anakin's reasoning, just making it clear that he wouldn't.

"Then…" Vader gasped, "Tell your sister… that I love her."

Anakin tied two last wires together, and felt Vader's body gasp for the much needed air, "You can tell her yourself," he commanded.

Luke met his eyes, and Anakin saw the shine of tears in his eyes, "He's going to be all right?" Luke demanded, still clinging to his father's hand.

Anakin stood up, and carefully lifted Vader as well, slipping his arm around his shoulders, "He'll survive.

Luke took Vader's other arm, and slung it around his shoulders, "Did you hear that? You're going to be all right!"

Vader gave a weak laugh, "I heard."

Anakin started to pull Vader out of the room, aware of Luke clinging to Vader's other side and hurrying along as well, keeping his spine straight, and Vader as upright as he possibly could. The added strain it put on him was more than he had strength for after facing two Sith Lords in as many days. Anakin watched as he stumbled, and fell to the floor on his hands and knees.

"I can manage him myself," Anakin offered.

Luke shook his head, standing up again, and resuming helping, despite Anakin's and Vader's protests.

"I'm fine," he argued.

Anakin pulled Vader a little more securely onto his own shoulder, "Luke, I need you to run ahead, and have our ship ready to go. Can you do that for me?"

Luke fell for it, "Sure," he said, hurrying off before he could think better of it. Anakin tightened his grip on Vader's arm.

"You've helped him a great deal," Vader said, and Anakin turned to see that he was trying to get his feet under himself.

"Relax," Anakin told him, and he stopped struggling, "I don't see how any of this is my doing."

"You helped him to accept me," Vader admitted, "He leapt to what could well have been his death to end our last encounter."

"After you cut off his hand?"

Vader didn't answer, his head hanging, and Anakin realized that he might have gone too far. He added, "I know it was an accident."

"I should have been more careful," Vader answered, "He's all I have left, and I should have taken better care of him."

"Leia wants me to take him back with me to my own time," Anakin told Vader, "But you should keep him here. You saw how happy he was to hear that you're going to be alright. You love each other, and you have a very special bond."

Vader was silent again.

"You need to keep him here," Anakin said, "He likes it here, and he loves his friends and family. He doesn't have all that waiting for him when I'm from."

"He has his mother, though, doesn't he?"

"Yes," Anakin admitted, "But when we parted, she still hadn't accepted that she was his mother. He hasn't got her to compare you against, if that's what you're worried about."

"I can't keep him from an opportunity to know her," Vader said, and they walked in silence for several paces, "I only wish she had come with you."

"She is very pregnant," Anakin answered, "Even if she had been needed for our fight against Sidious, it might have been dangerous for the babies if she had come."

Vader nodded as they turned the corner into the hanger where Luke waited impatiently at the foot of the ramp of their idling ship.

"Promise me you'll name the girl after our mother," Vader asked.

"After Mom?" Anakin asked, surprised, "Why wouldn't we name her Leia, just as she would have been named if they hadn't come back to change the course of the galaxy?"

"Leia will be better off with you as well," Vader answered as Luke spotted them and came racing across the hanger, grabbing Vader's other arm again and hauling him to his feet, hurrying them to the ship.

_She should return home with you as well,_ Vader told Anakin through the Force, and Anakin knew that he didn't want Luke to know of their discussion.

"Luke, would you take him back to the medical bed, and try to help him if you can?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded, and Anakin reluctantly allowed him to take Vader's full weight, and watched as he stumbled back to the medbay. He then hurried to the cockpit and lifted off. He wasn't sure what to think. It had been wonderfully simple when he could simply allow himself to hate Vader for what he'd done, but the longing in his voice as he'd spoken of Padme had been far too sincere to disbelieve. He had nearly given his life for Luke, and had been completely certain that he had killed himself in his sacrifice, he had spoken of both children while nearing death, and yet, could want Anakin to take them back to a safer time, for their own good, and not Vader's. Anakin resolved that his reaction to Obi-Wan would be his final test.


End file.
